
Passion,
talent and technique
.He has got it all
..
Seven times
winner of the Lebanese rally championship, winner of several
international races, holder of all Lebanese rally titles,
Roger Feghali is a big Lebanese achiever. Behind the
steering wheel it is the thrill of speeding that transports
him to the climax
In spite of
his busy active schedule Mr. Roger Feghali was kind enough
to receive BatoAutoMoto at his MOTORTUNE workshop In
Hazmieh , and over a cup of a delicious espresso he told us
the story about a 12 year old boy who fell in love
.and
who is still falling in love with race
cars.
-Who
would you say is Roger Feghali?
A real
ordinary person with several achievements.
-Is this
ordinary person different from the rally champion?
In the world
of sports I can differentiate between true sports fanatics
and those who are in the field just for the prestige and
showoff part of it. The latter
might play a double role in his life. As to myself it is
when I am behind the steering wheel , driving, that I am in
the ultimate satisfaction moment in my life no matter if I
win or lose. My life revolves around speeding, I try my best
to be well prepared and I do aim for winning but the driving
part is my real passion so Roger the champion never adds
anything to my character.
-At what
age did you start feeling the passion for cars and speed?
How did it develop?
Actually, my
father was in the mechanics business and his workshop was
near our house. I grew up in this environment, but it was at
the age of 12 that a dormant feeling woke up in me. It was
so strong that I immediately saw my life heading in this
direction. The decision on the inside was already taken
then. I will become a rally driver one day and I will be
doing my best to get there.
-Did you
encounter any problem with your family when you first
decided to start racing?

A lot of
pressure from my father who tried in every possible way to
stop me. But I guess in the end he realized that this was a
final decision so he gave up. As to my wife now, she
supports me dearly in every way but never bares the idea to
watch me race.
-When did
you participate in your first race and which car were you
driving?
That was in
1996 during the Spring rally in Lebanon. I was racing on a
Golf ll rented from Ghassan Khoury Motorsports.
-How did
you prepare to become a rally driver ? Did you attend a
driving school prior to racing?
Actually I
went to a driving school in Norway five years after I
started racing and after wining four times the Lebanese
rally championship. I guess talent is the key.
-Can you
make a good rally driver out of any ordinary person?
You can
teach a person the technique of driving but you can never
give him a strong heart and the will to fight . The talent
and passion and endurance has to be there.
 
-Is there
any physical fitness required from a rally driver?
High
cardiovascular endurance is a must. Naturally, there is no
considerable physical activity inside the car but the driver
undergoes severe conditions in certain stages . Eating
healthy, maintaining an adequate weight and exercising are
essential. Building energy reserves from a proper diet right
before a rally is also important.
-How do
you prepare for a rally? What are the things to be taken
care of?
Being the
engineer and owner of MOTORTUNE where my racing car is tuned
as well as several other cars that might be competing in the
same race, this puts some pressure on me. So not only I have
to take care of getting myself in shape but in getting all
the racing cars ready too.In addition, a week ahead of the
rally , my co-pilote and I start getting familiar with the
track on which we will be racing and we finalize all the car
settings.
-Which of
the rally cars that you have driven so far is your favorite?
The Lancia
Integral. Although It is not the fastest car but has evolved
rapidly until it became one of the best in 1992. I had the
chance to drive it and my first international victory was on
a Lancia.
-Among
your several achievements which is the most memorable one?
It is one of
the rallies in Lebanon in 2001. Although I did not end up
the race due to a car problem. I competed hardly and very
closely with Piero Liatti who was the #2 world champion. It
was then when I knew where my standard was and this gave me
a push forward.
-Who is
your ideal rally driver?
Colin
McRae.Every time I watch him race I am impressed .
-What is
your schedule for 2010?
I finished
Jordan rally last week in first place and will compete in
two more rallies in Jordan in the coming season. Of course I
will participate in the lebanese rally championship as well.
I might also compete in WRC Cyprus rally at the end of the
year.
-At last,
would you see your son race driving in the future?
If he
decides he wants to go for it , I will encourage him in
every way.
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