Two-time British Rally Champion Guy Wilks will make his FIA World Rallycross Championship debut at Lydden Hill over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend (22-24 May) later this month.

The 34-year-old will drive one of JRM Racing’s exciting new 1.6-litre MINI RX Supercars in the eagerly anticipated Motorsport News World RX of Great Britain, the UK’s only round of the action-packed World Rallycross Championship. His car will feature a ‘KNE’ (Karting North East) livery – promoting Wilks’ successful outdoor activity, entertainment and corporate event business in the North East of England.

“Rallycross is a sport that’s really going places and I see it as the next chapter in my career,” said Wilks, who has a long history of success in traditional stage rallying. He won back-to-back British titles in 2007 and 2008 as well as enjoying notable results on the international stage as a factory driver for teams such as Proton, Suzuki, Skoda and Peugeot.

“As a driver that’s had a successful career rallying in the World Rally Championship, IRC, across Europe and in Britain, I know I have the skills and experience to make an impression in rallycross.

“Joining the JRM Racing team at Lydden Hill is an exciting opportunity for me to take my first steps in rallycross and being part of an all-British line-up at Britain’s only round of World RX will be a proud moment as well.”

Wilks travelled to Hockenheim in Germany to see the JRM Racing squad make a heat-winning World RX debut last weekend. He’s now looking forward to getting acquainted with the team’s MINI RX.

“This season is a development year for JRM and the MINI RX but I like what I saw of the car in Germany,” he said. “The chassis looked like it was working well and that it gives the driver lots of useful feedback. The engine is the subject of a continuous development programme, so I’m looking forward to seeing what the whole package has to offer on home soil.”

James Rumsey, JRM Racing team principal, believes Wilks will be a valuable addition to the squad. He said: “Guy’s motor sport pedigree is undisputed and we won the British Rally Championship together in 2008. I have no doubt he’ll adapt to the requirements of rallycross quickly and successfully.

“He’s excited about seeing what he can do in the MINI RX, and the feedback that he will give us as we test before the race weekend and at Lydden itself will be a massive benefit as we continue the development of the car and ultimately make it even more competitive in World RX.”

Fans wanting to see Wilks in action can take advantage of an advance ticket offer for the FIA Motorsport News World RX of Great Britain. This provides significant discounts, with prices set at just £25 for Saturday and £30 for Sunday. These will rise to £30 and £35 for any remaining general admission tickets to be sold on the gate. Sales are currently well ahead of where they were at a similar time 12 months ago and another record crowd is expected.

Accompanied children aged 12 and under will be admitted free of charge, while VIP Hospitality and a limited number of grandstand tickets are also available in advance.

Those wishing to take full advantage of the special ticket offer should visit the official www.lyddenhill.co.uk website for more information.

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