WHEN Guy Wilks sets out to defend his title in this weekend's Pirelli Rally, he will be viewed as both favourite and underdog.

For while Wilks will be looking to become the first driver to record a hat-trick of successive wins in the event, he will also be behind the wheel of an as yet unproven Proton.

The Darlington driver, who now lives in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, drove a Mitsubishi to success in last year's British Rally Championship.

But the marque's decision to pull out of motorsport in Britain meant he had to look for a new drive.

Wilks, who missed the first round of the championship, will have his regular sidekick Phil Pugh alongside him in the striking Proton Satria Neo Super 2000 when they take to the course in Carlisle.

Powered by a 2.0 litre engine, developing in the order of 278 brake horsepower, the Proton certainly has the potential - it is now down to Wilks to turn that into reality.

"It will be nice to win the Pirelli three times in a row, but it would be really nice to do it in this car," said the 28-year-old, who is supported by Washington firm Varta Consumer Batteries. "In the past we have had a proven package, this time we want to prove the package.

"It's a slightly lower end of the market brand and I am hoping we can do good things with it, because people wont expect us to.

"It is a bit like going back to being the underdog. With mine and Phil's potential, as back-to-back British Champions, we are there to be shot down in one respect, but, at the same time, some people have written off our chances of winning the rally because of the car we have chosen."

Wilks is very fond of this weekend's Kielder Forest-based rally, regarding it as his home event.

"It makes it extra special, you always want to do well on your home turf," he said. "This is now my stomping ground in the rallying fraternity.

"As soon as our names went on the entry form I am sure a lot of people were saying bloody hell, we thought we had got rid of him. There will have been a few frowns from the other entrants, but a few smiles from the spectators when they saw that we were competing."

Ahead of Wilks and his rivals are two days of high speed action over the fast gravel tracks in the border forests with the event starting at Carlisle Racecourse at 6pm tomorrow.