Joan Pujolar: “One has to use the easiest paths”
It’s the story of a child from Llagostera. A peaceful village of 7000 inhabitants including two expert mechanics. Pere Maini of the Muxu team is one of them and Joan Pujolar, the other. They still live over there and nothing will make them move. Indeed this part of Catalonia gathers all those little things that give life a special taste. A magical place: half medieval with its fortifications and half touristy with its restaurants where he often goes with his wife and his two children after having enjoyed the pleasures of the close by sea. They also have the Cerdaña and Garrotas du Ripollès mountains, where they love to go for walks. In other words, Joan has all he wants within shooting distance. But his passion for motorsports made him meat the Dakar. Another environment, other landscapes. A different world that he will visit once again after a first disastrous experience. That first Dakar, competed in 1996, certainly could have definitely demoralized him. With Maule Plaza, they had to quit and endure endless days to bring their car back home. Joan, like all good Catalans, wasn’t however going to give up. Since then he managed to reach the finish on five occasions, including appearances as the co-driver of Josep-Maria Servia and Xavier Foj, He even managed an excellent 28th position overall last year. For his ninth appearance, he is about to start the race in optimal conditions as an official Toyota driver.