Wilks to fight on following puncture blow

Peugeot UK’s Guy Wilks is determined not to get downhearted despite being denied a possible podium finish on Barum Czech Rally Zlín when he picked up a rear puncture on Saturday’s penultimate stage.

Wilks had impressed throughout the day in his Kronos Racing-run 207 Super 2000, setting the fastest time on the day’s first test. He was 18.1s adrift of first position when the puncture occurred 17 kilometres from the finish of the 28.69-kilometre Troják stage.

“We took hard tyres for the afternoon but with cuts at the rear as we heard it was going to rain,” said Wilks. “But the car was moving around too much and I was pushing too much to make up for the lost time, slid wide on a right-hander and hit some bushes.

“I was conscious Andreas [Mikkelsen] was behind and I didn’t want to slow him down because I knew he was in the lead battle. I waited 15 to 20 seconds but he didn’t arrive so I had to go.”

Wilks, who is co-driven by Phil Pugh in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, is 12th overnight, 3m12.5s behind leader Jan Kopecký.

“It’s not fair but you know that’s rallying, that’s life. Sometimes you have to put yourself up to be shot down and unfortunately we’re getting shot down too much at the moment. We’re a minute behind Andreas and if we can get up to seventh on Sunday then everything’s possible.”