Rally novice gears up for thrilling challenge

The Evening Standard is to hit the road in a bid to complete one of motorsport's most gruelling challenges... the British round of the World Rally Championship.

Rallying is one of the few sports which allows novices to compete at the highest level and I will be in the co-driver's seat of the Castrol Evening Standard Ford Fiesta ST150 hoping to guide driver, Sky Sports presenter and motor racing pundit Tony Jardine, to the finish line.

Jardine has been rallying for nearly a quarter of a century and I will bring you reports of how we progress as we prepare for the Wales Rally GB on 4-7 December.

My rally experience has so far been limited to sitting alongside legend Roger Clark on the Autoglass Tour of Britain 19 years ago.

I have already been put through my paces during a day at Silverstone's excellent Rally Experience course where I learned how to fling a Fiesta through gravel chicanes and around hairpin bends at breakneck speed.

On Saturday Tony and I will team up competitively for the first time to take part in the Rally Yorkshire.

For details of the Silverstone Rally Experience, contact www.silverstone.co.uk