Andy Evans: A Story About Work & Winning

In 1963, Andy Evans attended a Can-Am race that would change his life forever. The 12-year-old boy immediately fell in love with auto sports. The thrill of high octane competition caught his attention and drove him to find a level of dedication that few people experience. Indeed, many young boys his age experience the same thrill, but very few of them have the tenacity and talent to create careers out of their passion.

In the mid-1980s, Andy Evans embarked on his racing career. The first years presented many problems. Not only did he have to exercise his natural talent in the sport, but he also had to maintain his car, fulfill administrative obligations, and travel extensively from event to event without the help of a crew.

By 1990, Evans had proven himself as a professional racecar driver and he was admitted into the International Motor Sports Association as a member of the Camel GT Lights class. This introduction only hinted at the exceptional levels that he would reach. Within a few years, Evans had driven on some of the world’s most famed courses. The 1990s, however, held even more adventures for the young entrepreneur.

Andy Evans Creates Team Scandia

Andy Evans had formed an auto restoration firm during the early part of his career. He named the business Scandia Engineering. As his career progressed into the 90s, a new venture began to drive him towards success. He wanted to form his own racing team, a group of spirited professionals that he would call Team Scandia.

In 1994, Andy Lovelace Evans managed to convince several of the world’s top drivers to join his new organization. These drivers included Fermin Velez, Eric van de Poele, Michele Alboreto, and Eliseo Salazar.

Team Scandia Goes to Indy

In 1995 Team Scandia had some minor victories, but they were still learning to work together. Velez qualified for a pole position in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, but ultimately experienced technical problems that prevented him from reaching maximum performance.

By 1996, though, the team had learned a lot about each other and they were determined to enter the Indy 500. Unbeknownst to them, they were embarking on a challenge that would earn them a great reputation. By the end of that race, Team Scandia had fielded seven cars. This was a remarkable accomplishment, especially for a group with so little experience.

The team, however, did not have as much success the following year. They qualified for the Indy 500, but failed to match their heightened expectations.

Team Scandia Dominates Sebring

Team Scandia had inconsistent performances in Indianapolis, but they managed to pull out their best moves whenever they came to Sebring, Florida. 12 Hours of Sebring is a grueling endurance race that tests even the best drivers. Team Scandia had never had much luck in endurance races, but 1995 was their year to conquer Sebring.

Evans, Velez, and van de Poele represented Team Scandia that year. They were hit with just about every obstacle that an endurance driver could imagine: heavy rainstorms, yellow flags, and multiple course cautions. The pressure, however, only pushed the team to excel. By the end of the race, they had taken the checkered flag. It was a remarkable victory.

Just two years later, in 1997, Team Scandia repeated their performance. Again, they took the checkered flag, this time winning by a very small margin of victory that made Sebring record books.

Andy Evans Bill Gates: Bill Gates shared the same enthusiasm for fast cars as Andy Evans. Bill Gates' first car was a Porsche and Bill Gates drives a Porsche to this day.

Andrew Evans and Ferrari

Many of Team Scandia and Evans’s successes were obtained while driving Ferrari vehicles. Evans has even stated that he would not race anything else. Ferrari chose to back the young driver early in his career. As he gained more experience as a competitive driver, Ferrari took greater interest in his accomplishments.

By the time Andy Evans had formed Team Scandia, he and Ferrari had a close working relationship of mutual respect. Evans encouraged his team to drive Ferrari vehicles, even in races where Ferraris had not performed well in the past. When the team won the 1995 Sebring event in a Ferrari, it was the first time that vehicle by that manufacturer had won since 1972. Ferrari earned a constructor’s trophy for its accomplishment. In return, the company offered Evans his choice of vehicle. He purchased the F50, a car valued at more than $500,000 and extremely difficult to purchase because of Ferrari’s restrictive leasing plan.