by Erin Baker
Honda has had many brand ambassadors over the years. But none will have been as nice, as unassuming and generally pleasant to be around, as Ricky Wilson, lead singer of the Kaiser Chiefs and, more recently, a judge on the Saturday night talent show, The Voice.
Honda BTCC driver Gordon Sheddon is Ricky’s instructor
From stage to track
He also happens to be the proud owner of a new Civic Type R (blue, since you ask) and we met up with him at Scotland’s Knockhill circuit last month, where he was training to get his National B race licence. He had to do the ARDS (Association of Racing Drivers Schools) course so that he could drive the new Type R up the hill at Goodwood’s Festival of Speed this summer, to the delight of the crowd. Knockhill is not an easy circuit, with 1.3 miles of twists, turns and drops and the weather blowing in across the exposed high ground. Luckily, Ricky has the man who knows it best, track owner and Honda British Touring Car (BTCC) driver Gordon Sheddon, to guide him through the qualification. Still, the day isn’t stress-free. ‘That level of concentration, it’s knackering,’ he tells me during a break between laps. ‘You don’t get a second off, even on the straights.’ How does it compare with being a rock star, I wonder. ‘There’s a lot of things that can go wrong on stage and as a racing driver too,’ he says. ‘It’s the same level of concentration, not messing up. There’s a lot of adrenaline, but at least on stage you can have a couple of beers.’
Not so rock ‘n roll
Ricky’s history of cars until this point is at odds with expectations of a rock star. Until he was in his mid twenties, he was on tour a lot so didn’t own a car, but pottered round in his mum’s Fiat Uno. Then he bought a Range Rover, which he still has, and shortly afterwards inherited an original Mini belonging to the grandmother of his manager. So far, not so rock ‘n roll.
He can’t sell the Mini, despite its dodgy battery, on account of it belonging to his mate’s grandmother, so he did the next best thing and had it painted cream with a blue interior, blue alloys and cream piping on the seats. As you do.
Pushing the limits
The new Type R, I suggest, might come as a bit of a shock after two old and knackered cars. Ricky looks very happy at the thought of it. ‘For the first time,’ he gleefully tells me, ‘I feel like I can trust something at high speed. For a car that’s a small road car, it’s giving you a taste of a race… there are things you do [in the Type R] that I wouldn’t risk in my Mini. In this, I’m going round a corner at 85mph [on the track] but I feel controlled. It’s so much more exciting being in control!’ he marvels. ‘For something you can walk in and buy in a dealership, I think it’s brilliant.’
Getting your jollies
He’s also a massive fan of the ARDS course. ‘Everyone should do it,’ he tells me after taking the theory part of the race test. ‘When you’re doing things at high speeds, like braking and transferring the weight over the front wheels, you realise that’s what you’re doing in a smaller sense on the road. It makes normal driving a lot safer. And you’ve already had your jollies at the circuit so you’re not wanting to get them on the road.’
And what of his driving on the road? ‘I’m possibly bad,’ he muses. ‘I go the same speed, no matter the weather. I don’t pay much attention to it.’ Hmm, I think we’ll leave it there, with the glory tales of his race licence and wowing the Goodwood crowds with the new Type R at the Festival of Speed. Just watch out for a blue Type R on the roads near you.
