Winner of the 1997 MSA British Off Road Championship standard production class, Nik Ward returned to off-road racing after a four year absence in 2002. A mixed season ensued when mechanical problems prevented him from pushing Colin Read and the Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin all the way to the wire.

However Nik showed glimpses last year of what he and the Vitara are capable of. The team actually won its class twice, beating Read and the Pinin and was generally able to keep up with the more powerful Mitsubishi in most conditions. If it wasn’t for retirements from the opening round at Tunbridge Wells and in Scotland Nik would have been in a much stronger position at the end of the year.

Nik is the first to admit that the Vitara is a bit out-dated but he says: "I believe despite this we can still be competitive. Besides I still had a garage full of parts that needed using up."

Nik’s first win of 2002 dispelled the myth that the Vitara was weak and prone to breakages when the going got tough, as it came at the event which was aguably the toughest on the Goodyear British Off Road Championship calendar, round 2 at Seven Sisters in Wales. Nik was fast and had built up a strong lead before a series of problems allowed Colin Read and the Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin to close up. Colin then had an accident which pitched the Pinin on to its side at high speed, allowing Nik to cruise to a well deserved win.

Engine: 1.6 litre, 4cyl, 8v DOHC

Transmission: Manual, 4WD

Roll Cage: Evans UK Roll Cage

Suspension: Bilstein 

Class: Standard Production 1A

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