by Rob Wilkins


Colin McRae's former co-driver Nicky Grist is urging people to get behind Guy Wilks and help the Englishman as he tries to raise the funds necessary to land a seat with the works Subaru World Rally Team in 2009.

Guy, who won the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship last year, launched his bid to team up with Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson back in the summer through the 'Wilks 500 Club' sponsorship/investment programme.

The response to it so far has been very good but Wilks still needs more support and Grist reckons he could definitely make the grade at the top level of the sport given the chance.

"The 'Wilks 500 Club' is a great incentive and I hope people do take up the opportunity to make this happen. Guy has never really had a fair crack at the whip," Grist told Crash.net Radio last month in an exclusive interview at the Castle Combe Rallyday.

"He has done a few events and he had the opportunity with Ford [last year] with limited sponsorship. But it comes to the point where you can't always make it happen when you have got such a small programme.

"You have got to have at least 12 or 14 events under your belt before you can really start showing what you can do. At the moment he hasn't had the opportunity to get into the swing of World Rally Cars and the World Rally Championship at the top level. He needs a lot more events before he can start showing what he can do.

"This opportunity with Subaru, if he can get the money together, is great. I think that once he builds up some experience he will start putting in some very solid and commendable times."

Anyone wishing to find out more about the 'Wilks 500 Club' should go to Guy's personal website - http://www.guywilks.com - and there they can get all the details on how to 'Back the Brit'.


TO HEAR THE INTERVIEW IN FULL WITH NICKY GRIST RECORDED PRIOR TO THE RALLY CATALUNYA: CLICK HERE