MSA Team UK recruits Nicky Grist to lead development

[silverbackPR]

The Motor Sports Association has confirmed that Nicky Grist, the former WRC co-driver, will join the Team UK project in 2011 to oversee the selection and development of a number of aspiring young British rally co-drivers.

Perhaps best known for co-driving Colin McRae from 1997 to 2002, Grist, 49, has enjoyed a distinguished rallying career over almost 30 years, competing with a number of drivers including Juha Kankkunen, Armin Schwarz and Malcolm Wilson. He won 21 of the 131 World Championship rallies he contested, securing a total of 48 podium finishes. He now runs Nicky Grist Motorsport – a retailer of quality motorsport products.

Team UK currently comprises ten of the most promising young talents in British motor sport, with drivers taken from both race and rally disciplines. The members of the 2011 programme will be selected later this month and a small number of rally co-drivers will be included for the first time to supplement the national squad.

It is anticipated that the co-drivers will join their driving colleagues for appropriate elements of the year-long programme, but that they will also benefit from a bespoke programme of activity put together to further their skills and prepare them for professional co-driving careers.

“The original Rally Elite always featured co-drivers,” says MSA Performance Director Robert Reid. “We thought hard about the issue last year when we created Team UK and we always said that the co-drivers of the rally members were welcome to join our sessions. However, the UK has a great pedigree in the art of co-driving and many Brits have competed alongside the biggest names in world motor sport, not just British drivers. This is an opportunity to help the next generation of rising co-drivers and Nicky is the perfect man to lead that. I know he will work really well alongside David Brabham, Mark Higgins and the rest of the team.”

“I can’t wait to get started”, says Grist. “British co-drivers have such a tremendous history in world rallying, but our numbers seem to have dropped off a bit in recent years. I hope that we can take some of the promising young co-drivers and give them a helping hand to make it to the highest levels. There are so many attributes that you need to be successful, but as well as the obvious navigating skills and attention to detail, I will be looking for the strong personalities that are able to cope with the demands of top level rallying.”



About Team UK

Team UK represents the pinnacle of the MSA Academy structure that has been created under the direction of MSA Performance Director Robert Reid to guide young drivers from eight years old through to world championship level.

Team UK is operated on behalf of the MSA by Brabham Performance Clinic, with race and rally coaches providing specific expertise to supplement the common learning shared across all disciplines. 2009 Le Mans champion David Brabham fulfils the role of National Race Coach alongside three-time British Rally Champion Mark Higgins as National Rally Coach. Nicky Grist now becomes National Co-driver Coach.

The content of the Team UK programme is significantly more demanding and focussed than previous schemes, enabling a greater emphasis to be placed on driver coaching and in-car performance. Individual fitness programmes and dietary consultations ensure that the drivers are in the best physical shape, while the application of advanced sports psychology equips them mentally to perform at the highest level.

Exclusive visits to teams from F1 and WRC as well as to leading component suppliers provide invaluable insight into the demands and requirements of a top driver and the squad enjoys access to some of the most sophisticated simulation equipment in the world. Thanks to support from the FIA Institute’s Motor Sport Safety Fund, Team UK members also benefit from advanced training in both road and on-track safety skills.


Release MSA10-061: 9 November 2010
For media information only. No regulatory value.


This press release has been distributed by Silverback Media Solutions Ltd on behalf of Nicky Grist & Nicky Grist Motorsport in co-ordination and agreement with the Motor Sports Association

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http://www.nickygrist.com

[noel157]

I'm not being negative but have any these schemes produced anybody of star ability over the last number of years in the UK?
Perhaps it would be a better idea to back one or maybe 2 drivers with the money used to run and pay the people involved in these things rather than have what essentially seems to me to be a waste of funds employing "experts" to try and find the next British star?

[AndyRAC]

I'm not being negative but have any these schemes produced anybody of star ability over the last number of years in the UK?
Perhaps it would be a better idea to back one or maybe 2 drivers with the money used to run and pay the people involved in these things rather than have what essentially seems to me to be a waste of funds employing "experts" to try and find the next British star?

I thought the same thing but didn't like saying. They'll never hand cash over like FFSA, KNAF, RBAC, etc

[silverbackPR]

surely we need to develop future talent and the MSA can't really be seen to be supporting one driver and Co-driver.

Lets hope that in 2012 onwards that those who do come through these ranks get a chance to do their stuff and build a career in the sport.

[I am evil Homer]

UK has the talent but it needs money and this doesn't provide it. It's a marketing exercise with no 'product' behind it. How about they support the guys who had to fight tooth and nail to get any sort of drive - Meeke, Wilks for two?

Will they help Breen now after his good drive at the weekend?

[noel157]

UK has the talent but it needs money and this doesn't provide it. It's a marketing exercise with no 'product' behind it. How about they support the guys who had to fight tooth and nail to get any sort of drive - Meeke, Wilks for two?

Will they help Breen now after his good drive at the weekend?

Minor problem with Breen is that he is from Southern Ireland.

[noel157]

surely we need to develop future talent and the MSA can't really be seen to be supporting one driver and Co-driver.

Lets hope that in 2012 onwards that those who do come through these ranks get a chance to do their stuff and build a career in the sport.

Why not if that driver is the right person? Other ASNs manage to do it ok.

[Pinto]

UK has the talent but it needs money and this doesn't provide it. It's a marketing exercise with no 'product' behind it. How about they support the guys who had to fight tooth and nail to get any sort of drive - Meeke, Wilks for two?

Will they help Breen now after his good drive at the weekend?

Craig is a Motosport ireland (MSI) man who have helped him this year through him winning the billy coleman award last year.

[Macd]

Problem is the people who win the pirelli star driver things are always people who could afford to run a Group N car in the BRC anyway. They need to look at people who are punching above their weight in R2 ect. MSA will never be any good.

[Bolton Midnight]

The MSA view it very much as THEIR money and not OURS

So what if rallies are being cancelled, so what if we have no British WRC stars, so what if clueless new regulations are forcing more and more competitors out of the sport.......

What is really important is how many millions they have in the bank and how cold are their GnTs down at Pall Mall