British driver Guy Wilks has confirmed he will drive at next month’s World RX of Great Britain (27-29 May), round four of the FIA World Rallycross Championship.
Wilks – a two-time British Rally Champion and ex-WRC driver – will pilot an Olsbergs MSE prepared Fiesta ST RX Supercar.
He will join Monster Energy athlete Liam Doran as the second British driver to compete at Lydden Hill in a Supercar, a 600bhp four-wheel-drive machine which is faster off the line than a Formula One car. Englishman Wilks reached last year’s final at Lydden Hill on his RX debut but was denied a podium spot due to a puncture.
“I’m massively looking forward to getting back behind the wheel at Lydden. To get another chance to show what I can do will be a great opportunity and racing on the track is where I want to be,” enthused Wilks, who is a regular commentator for the official World RX TV show.
He added: “A Brit in the British round with home support is something really special. Supported by LOCO and partnered with OMSE, one of the most experienced teams in the paddock, is great news for me. Lydden Hill is a place that everybody thinks I have good knowledge of but actually it marked the start of my RX career in 2015, when I saw the place for the very first time. Obviously rallying is my background, so I’ll have to brush up on my racecraft again – Karting North East (KNE) will definitely help with that. After commentating at round one in Portugal, I’m very aware that this is a World Championship with some serious competition – I’ll need to bring my A game to Kent if I want to reach the top!”
Paul Bellamy, World RX Managing Director for IMG, concluded: “Guy is no stranger to rallycross – he’s regularly commentated alongside Andrew Coley on our TV show but he’s only competed at two rounds. There’s no denying he’s a talent behind the wheel and this was demonstrated when he reached the final on his RX debut at Lydden Hill last year. With the technical expertise of the Olsbergs MSE team plus the support of a home crowd, Wilks will certainly be a force to be reckoned with.”
Tickets for the British round of the World Championship can be purchased on the Lydden Hill website: www.lyddenhill.co.uk/tickets