After wins on the
Pirelli and Jim Clark Challenge events Sykes and co-driver Emma Morrison lead
the championship in their Bathams Brewery and G I Sykes Ltd-supported Citroën
C2 R200 and they are hoping for better luck than they had on last year’s event
when a puncture dropped them down the leaderboard from 2nd place.
“The puncture
dropped us down to 9th which was hugely disappointing,” said Sykes.
“We managed to fight back to 5th at the finish but we lost a lot of
points. It’s the only puncture I’ve had on my Silverstone tyres in four years,
they are normally very good and, dare I say it, more puncture resistant than
most.”
“I’m in two minds
whether to push hard for another win or have a steady run and make sure we get
a good haul of championship points. The trouble is, when I get behind the wheel
and put the helmet on, there is only one way I can drive on the gravel tracks and
that is flat out.”
Sykes’ car is still
damaged from the accident it suffered when another car pulled out in front of
it before the Jim Clark rally but the damage shouldn’t hinder the performance.
“The car is not
quite straight but we will have to dial that out and get on with it. After the
tarmac roads of the Jim Clark rally we’ve put the car back into forest
specification ready for the gravel tracks the Scottish will use.”
“A third win would
be brilliant but any podium result will leave us in a very healthy championship
position before we head to Ulster and the Isle of Man for the next rounds.”
“Thanks to Bathams
Brewery for their continued fantastic backing, G I Sykes Ltd for their
support and car preparation and Martin Billings for on-event support.”
The rally is based
in Dumfries and the crews will tackle 59 miles of forest stages including Ae,
Castle O’er and Twiglees.