ON HIS first asphalt rally in a Fabia S2000, Skoda UK Motorsport driver Guy Wilks achieved the team’s goal by finishing in a strong points-scoring sixth position on the Rallye Monte Carlo last week.

Having celebrated his 29th birthday during the event, the Darlington driver scored three points to make an encouraging start to his 2010 Intercontinental Rally Challenge. Co-driven by Welshman Phil Pugh, Wilks drove intelligently and faultlessly throughout the four-day, 251-stage mile event.

Consistency proved the key to success, as he set 13 top ten fastest stage times out of 15 and did not put a scratch on his Fabia S2000, despite extremely challenging snow and ice-covered mountain stages.

A stunning second fastest time on the opening stage of leg three saw Wilks move up two places to fifth and, with just four stages north of Monaco remaining, it was going to be an exciting finale. Tyre choice would be critical, and while there was no snow on the twisty Alpes-Maritimes roads, freezing conditions meant sections of sheet ice, especially on the ascent to the Col de Turini, situated 1,607m above Monaco.

Wilks took winter tyres for the first loop of two stages, and while this was a good choice for the ice, he lost more time that he had gained on the dry sections.

Returning to the harbour in Monte Carlo, Wilks was back in seventh, albeit just 1.9 seconds behind the driver in front.

For the final loop, Wilks took a combination of cut slick and intermediate tyres and maintained a fast and safe pace to complete a textbook performance and finished in sixth.

STOKESLEY teenager Kelly Bird was in attendance at the 2010 Autosport International Show, where she was exhibiting on the Go Motorsport stand along with her car as part of her plan to move into the senior Minicross class for 2010.

After meeting former Formula One star and now television commentator Martin Brundle, the 16-year-old announced that she will be competing in the MDA & BTRDA Championship, which are running with the British Rallycross Championship. Kelly hopes to attract more girls into the sport, of which there are increasing numbers.

SCORTON schoolboy Max Coates has started 2010 with some good news.

After racing karts since the age of eight, Max, 16, is to progress his motorsport career into racing cars by signing up to compete in the Junior Ginetta Championship which is one of the British Touring Car support series.

Max, who attends Richmond School, has been looking to make the move into racing cars for some time and he has jumped at the chance to race in the Junior Ginetta series, as it is high-profile with each of the ten rounds shown live on ITV4 and average attendances of 35,000 spectators.

The Ginetta cars are built at Garforth, near Leeds, and the series is open to 14 to 17 year olds. Close racing is guaranteed in the 100mph cars as the engine and transmissions are sealed, so the emphasis is on the driver’s set-up and racing skills.

Max was present at the Autosport show at the NEC recently to witness the unveiling of the new race car which was well-received with all but one of the places on the grid for the 2010 signed up for by the end of the show. The team have secured the funding to purchase one of the brand new Ginetta G40 race cars, but are still chasing sponsorship partners to cover the running expenses for the season.

STOCKTON and District Motor Club will be again running the SG Petch-sponsored Tour of Hamsterley rally in 2010, which will be held on Sunday May 9, and offers competitors around 40 stage miles in the forests of Stang and Hamsterley, including some never before used tracks.

An entry of 80 cars is expected and, starting in Barnard Castle, the rally is likely to draw many local crews. And, as it forms part of three stage rally championships (ANCC, ANECC, Motoscope Northern Historics) top drivers and cars from further afield will be in attendance. Last year, the rally was won by Irishmen Michael and Daniel O’Brien in a Ford Focus WRC.

Clerk of course Derek Holgate said: “We are delighted to build on the success of last year’s event – the first in Hamsterley in more than 20 years – and, coupled with the first running of the Teesside 1000 Rally in December, it shows Stockton as a very strong club.

“The inclusion of some never before used tracks in Hamsterley will add a further dimension to this year’s rally which I am sure the competitors will really enjoy’ Marshals will be required for the rally and anyone interested in getting involved in this or any other aspect of motorsport should visit stocktonmotorclub.co.uk or tourofhamsterley.co.uk.

ONE of the region’s most hotlycontested rally championships gets under way in two weeks’ time, when the opening round of the Motoscope Northern Historic Rally Championship kicks off on the Procter’s Coaches Riponian Stages rally.

The nine-round championship features a mixture of sealed tarmac and multi-venue forest stages, where a driver’s best seven rounds count. Open to all vehicles complying with section R49 of the 2010 MSA Competitors Yearbook (Blue Book), HRCR membership is required.