Nicky Grist spent most of his career sitting next to the world’s greatest drivers as they hurled him, and a multi-million pound racing machine, through forests, gravel paths and the least hospitable terrain possible. But, now that he’s retired from the perhaps even more extreme role of co-driving a rally car, he’s taking time to jump into the hot seat.
Video: Nicky Grist jumps into the hot seat
Grist is perhaps most famous perhaps for sitting alongside Lanarkshire’s legend Colin McRae, and therefore providing the co-driving voice for the accompanying video games. But the duo of McRae and Grist were never able to win a WRC crown in their years together.
Like McRae, Grist is a one-time WRC champion though, even if he didn’t manage it alongside the Scot. Instead the Welshman’s title triumph came while inside a Toyota Celica with Juha Kankkunen in 1993.
Now retired from the scariest seat in motorsport, Grist has bought himself a present we’d all appreciate, a WRC-spec Celica, like the one he achieved four WRC victories in. At the 78th Goodwood Members’ Meeting in October 2021, he brought this stunning machine along to compete in the Goodwood Super Special presented by Cooper Tires, and our cameras were able to capture his weekend.

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