GUY Wilks' stock is continuing to rise after the Suzuki driver roared to a class win in the Japanese manufacturer's homeland.

The Darlington driver won class A6 on the all-gravel Rally Japan at the weekend - the latest chapter in a stunning success story for the all-new Swift, which has finished on the podium in every event it has contested, and has now taken its second consecutive class victory.

Japan was the 13th rally of the World Championship, and part of Suzuki's six-rally programme outside of the Junior World Rally Championship designed to build experience and knowledge.

Rally Japan has only been in the World Championship since last year but it has already earned a reputation for being one of the toughest events on the calendar. The stages were extremely fast, narrow, and slippery - made even trickier by the uncertain weather.

The final day of the event was cool and overcast, whereas on the second day it rained and on the first day it was warm. Drivers also had to cope with thick fog and a number of stages run at night.

Wilks had some small brake problems on the opening loop of stages, but recovered from those only to be hit by a puncture in the afternoon. He was forced to stop and change it and this happened again on the second day.

Punctures aside, he had no mechanical problems to take a well-deserved class victory by the considerable margin of more than 13 minutes.

"The stages were very gravelly, particularly on the first run, and that is why we had all the problems with punctures," said Wilks. "Luckily our problems were no more serious than that, and by the end of the rally we were experts at changing wheels!

"From the end of the first day we already had a considerable class lead and it was just a question of controlling it to the end. These were very tough and varied conditions, and the Swift performed brilliantly throughout."

Suzuki Sport president Nobuhiro 'Monster' Tajima lavished praise on Wilks and his machine.

"Congratulations to Guy on an excellent class win: the second for the all-new Suzuki Swift," he said.

"The car has proved extremely competitive on every rally it has contested.

"We have seen that it works well and is easy to drive in a wide variety of conditions."

Wilks will be back in action on the final round of the Junior World Rally Championship, the Catalunya Rally from October 28-30.

Published: 04/10/2005