SOUTH of the border, down Mexico way goes the song, and Guy Wilks will be hoping he is calling the tune as the World Rally Championship heads to the Latin quarter this weekend.

The Darlington driver arrived in Mexico on Monday after a 26-hour flight from England, via Houston, Texas, and spent the day acclimatising.

Yesterday, however, the gloves went on as the 24-year-old got down to the serious business of preparing for the gruelling test that awaits him and his Suzuki team.

Rally Mexico is based in the leather capital of Leon but gets underway with a colourful ceremonial start in the picturesque town of Guanajuato tomorrow evening.

The real action starts on Friday with the first of 14 special stages totalling 355 kilometres. The rally has a vicious sting in the tail, as the final stage is an enormous 44.39 kilometres long. The winner is expected back on the finishing ramp in Leon on Sunday lunchtime.

Wilks, of course, will not be standing atop the World Rally Championship podium but he is looking to be best of the five drivers competing in the Junior equivalent.

Normally 13 cars contest the JWRC event but because of the expense and time involved only a handful have travelled.

Wilks arrived in high spirits, having taken a second place in the last round in Sweden, albeit an event that didn't count towards the title.

This time he is looking to go one better, but to do that he must overhaul his team-mate and reigning JWRC champion P-G Andersson.

Wilks and Andersson are sixth and seventh in the standings respectively, some way behind leader Chris Meeke.

But the Englishman is not competing this weekend, so there are some important points up for grabs.

"The last round, OK, wasn't a Junior World Championship round but we were still very competitive when people didn't expect us to be. So, from that point of view, we were very pleased," said Wilks from Mexico.

Preparation for a rally outside Europe is nigh on impossible but Wilks does not think it will be a hindrance.

"Nobody has any great experience of Mexico but I don't think experience really counts for a great deal any more," he said. "I think you have just got to get your head down and go for it.

"You have two passes on the recce (reconnaissance) and you have got to do as much as you can to learn it from there."

The majority of the stages are gravel and Suzuki believe this will suit both their car and Wilks and Andersson.

"It's supposed to be really fast," said Wilks. "The surface is predominantly hard but it can be quite sandy in the slow corners. It should be a very fast event with very high speeds. It will take lots of concentration but lots of commitment as well."

Wilks says the fact there are only five juniors on the start line does not mean he will be changing his approach.

"I go there to win," he said. "In any sport you can't do anything about the competition you are up against. I only go out there to win, that's my one state of mind. There's no two ways about it, I don't go out to finish second or third."