Determined Wilks plots route to rallying's summit

More often than not it's attached to some up-and-comer who hit a few good balls in the early rounds one summer's morn at SW19, only to be seen next trying and failing to teach frustrated housewives how to connect with a half-decent backhand at some wannabe country club.

We've seen them in athletics, too. Swimming, boxing and even skiing have also had their fair share.

Rarely, if ever, do they live up to the billing given them by some tired hack looking for an easy headline.

Guy Wilks may be the exception to the rule.

He may not be lifting the title at the All England Club or have Olympic gold medals placed around his neck, but what this 23-year-old Darlington rally driver does possess is the mark of a champion.

He possesses the will to win and the desire to make the dream become reality through all of life's little distractions.

From an early age his leadership qualities were recognised and he soon found himself made captain of his school rugby, cricket and cross-country teams.

As he progressed it wasn't long before he was at the helm of the first XI cricket team, rugby XV and the squash squad. At cricket and squash he went on to represent his county.

In some ways, then, the fact Wilks has chosen rallying as the sport in which he wants to achieve greatness is something of a surprise.

However, when you consider his father, Philip, was well known in motor-racing circles and the young Wilks lived next door to the family car business for his first 12 years it perhaps becomes more logical.

It wasn't until the year 2000 that he was able to get behind the wheel of a car, but despite being a novice it was clear the then 19-year-old wasn't going to remain one for long.

"Everything about him said he could be someone," said Darren Wilcox, instructor at the Chris Birkbeck UK rally school at Brotton. "His willingness to listen and learn shone out there and then."

After a period of tuition Wilks was let loose on the tarmac and gravel at the Croft circuit, near Darlington, for the first time.

"The first stage was like sheet ice and you have to bear in mind there were cars like Metro 6R4s and Group A Escort Cosworths out there and we were in a 1300cc Ford Ka," said Wilcox, who was sitting alongside him.

"On the first stage we had a half spin and I thought we must have lost about 15 to 20 seconds.

"After we came in after the first two stages I walked over to look at the times. I started from the bottom and went up to see where we were.

"I got up to about tenth and I didn't bother looking any further and started looking back down again to see if I had missed us.

"As it turned out, at that point, we were lying fourth overall and had we not had the spin we would have been leading.

"I think we stayed there for four or five stages but after that we went backwards as fast we had come up. But it obviously proved straightaway that he had a hell of a lot of car control for a young lad who hadn't spent a long time in a car."

After two further rallies Wilks registered for the Ford Ka Championship and at the end of a phenomenal debut year emerged as Junior Ford Ka champion, Class A5 National champion and the Genesis Design Formula 1400 champion.

His rise continued and next season he turned his attentions to the highly-competitive Ford 1400 Puma Championship.

Despite being plagued by mechanical setbacks, he missed out on the title by just 0.7 of a second.

In 2003 he took part in the six-round Junior World Rally Championship, finishing seventh overall in the Puma. It was an achievement that brought him to the attentions of bigger fish and, as they say, Ford's loss was Suzuki's gain.

Driving a Suzuki Ignis for the Japanese manufacturer this past season Wilks ended the year third overall in the JWRC and was crowned British Super 1600 champion and British Junior Rally champion.

His biggest test, so far, arrives this season with Suzuki's announcement that they are to compete in all of the rounds of the World Rally Championship.

Having been courted by other, more established, rallying outfits, the decision to remain with Suzuki wasn't one he took lightly, but Wilks believes it is the right one at this moment and is confident of success.

"I had to think of my long-term future and what was going to benefit me that way," he said.

"This was the only deal that was offering me the full world championship and would enable me to learn every round, having not competed in them all yet.

"I got an offer from a four-wheel drive WRC manufacturer team but I didn't go too far down the line.

"With this team I am a front driver. I am not going to be stuck behind an established driver and put in a corner and forgotten about.

"With Suzuki I play a major role. They are developing a new 1600cc car next year and are doing the full championship and so are in the right place at the right time if they do develop a WRC car.

"I have a much more influential role with Suzuki than if I was with another manufacturer."

Wilks has been told that a key aim next season is to retain the Junior World Championship but mileage and experience on the world stage are just as important to the team.

"It will be fantastic for me and my team-mate to be going to all the rounds - Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Mexico, Argentina - all these rallies as well as the European ones like Finland, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus and Corsica.

"It's going to be a hell of an experience next year," he said.

While admitting it's everything he ever dreamed of, Wilks is keen to point out that this is not the limit of his ambitions.

"I feel there is another step to go but it's all about pacing my career," he said.

"The opportunity that came along recently wasn't right so I didn't feel it was right to take it.

"In this game I believe you only get one shot at going to the top level - if you make a mess of it you are back to square one and I can't afford to do that when I have built up so progressively, but so quickly at the same time.

"I will be in a much stronger position to negotiate a deal after I have done the full 16 rounds of the championship.

"Next year, there are probably ten or 11 drivers doing the full 16 rounds because some of the second cars in WRC teams are shared, so as far as that goes I am a very lucky person."

Being lucky probably doesn't come into the equation - there are very few champions who can say they were able to put their foot on the top rung of the ladder thanks to a helping hand from Lady Luck.

So whether Wilks makes it big and in so doing turns British hope into global reality is really down to him.

There are few who would bet against it and Darren Wilcox, the aforementioned instructor who helped hone the talent, certainly isn't one of them.

"I would say he is the only British hope at present," Wilcox said. "As we speak today there is nobody else competing at the moment who can go as far as Guy has and as far as Guy will."

Published: 29/12/2004