TURN HERE- I THINK! Learning the art of co-driving at the Nicky Grist Academy.

Byline: ANTHONY PEACOCK

If you struggle to tell left from right, you should avoid certain jobs. Tank commander is one of them. So is rally co-driver. But there is no reason to let incompetence get in the way of a good time, and, indeed, you will have much fun at the Nicky Grist Co-Driver Academy.

The Welshman-from the small town of Abergavenny, where he still lives-started his sports career as a golf pro and still plays regularly. He probably would have stuck with the links had cars not taken over his life. Grist began his professional co-driving career in 1990. His big break came when he was asked to partner Finnish rally legend Juha Kankkunen in 1993, and they won their first event together, in Argentina.

Grist then spent years navigating for the late Colin McRae (Competition, Sept. 24), and his voice has been heard in more than 6 million homes, thanks to the phenomenal success of McRae-endorsed PlayStation games. Grist has ridden shotgun for 21 World Rally wins and is probably the best-known co-driver in the world. But in order to call out our self-made pace notes, we need a driver to shout them at-which is why Grist is behind the wheel.

He has driven a rally car only a couple of times, but his debut seven years ago on the McRae Stages Rally in Scotland was spectacular. The day before the rally, Grist tested his Ford Ka in a forest and promised everyone, "She's going to have it, chum.''

She certainly did. The sounds of committed acceleration and impatient upshifts were followed by several thumps and the tinkle of breaking glass. What happened next isn't clear, because everyone was laughing hysterically.

Now it's time for Grist's revenge. Or, as he puts it more diplomatically, time to pass on a few tricks of the trade.