DARLINGTON rally driver Guy Wilks is looking to make amends for his off in Corsica by scoring points on the Prime Yalta rally in Ukraine.
The event, the fourth round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge championship, starts tomorrow.
Wilks, who drives for Peugeot UK, was forced out of the last event when while running third he slid off the road 6km from the end of stage four.
That left him sixth in the championship on 25 points and understandably frustrated.
"I'm still kicking myself for my 'off' in Corsica, because it was entirely my fault," said Wilks. "I had just posted the fastest time on the previous stage, so why did I go and overdo it? My Peugeot 207 S2000 is competitive, I don't need to take it beyond its limits."
Despite this, Wilks and co-driver Phil Pugh are still flying the flag as the top-placed UK team.
A new rally for the IRC in 2011, the Prime Yalta Rally combines a number of fast and flowing tarmac stages in the mountains overlooking the Black Sea city of Yalta, in the Ukrainian Crimea region. It consists of a total of 14 stages, covering a total of 261.87 km of competitive stage distance.
The rally begins tomorrow with two special stages. The first SS1 is located in the outskirts of Yalta and covers a total of 2.12 km. The second is further down the coast south of Yalta, a short stage totalling 5.49km. After the completion of the two stages the cars will have a short 15-minute service halt before being parked up for the night on the quay side in Yalta.
Day Two will see the competitors tackle a total of six stages covering 137.52km, with the final day made up of a further six stages covering 116.74km. "We've got to get our head down, make good pace notes and do the job in the Ukraine. I've never rallied there before. It's a new adventure and a level playing field for everyone. So it's game on," said Wilks.
A total of 52 crews will set off at the start, with the event concluding on Saturday.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article