Rally, in a Group A 1300 version of the Nova. 1989 Competed in the British Open Championship with driver Dave Metcalfe, in the Vauxhall 1600 Nova developed the previous year. In this year Nicky earned his first wage as a co-driver. World Rally Championship 1990–1993 Ford / Toyota Grist became a full-time professional co-driver with the Ford Motor Company and driver Malcolm Wilson. Competed in the British Open Championship in a Sierra Sapphire Cosworth. Also took part in a test and development programme with Ford's new 4x4 Sapphire Cosworth, consisting of three WRC events, giving Grist his first experience of a WRC event outside Britain. In 1991, he competed in six rounds of the WRC with Malcolm Wilson and the Ford Motor Company. In 1992, only competed in the Safari Rally of the WRC with Toyota Team Europe with driver Mikael Ericsson where the team came fourth. Also co-ordinated with the team for Rally Acropolis and Argentina giving him an insight into the inside working of Team 2. 1993–1997 Mitsubishi and Toyota Grist joined Mitsubishi with driver Armin Schwarz, in the WRC, but during the Rally Argentina joined Juha Kankkunen. With Kankkunen he went on to win the rally Argentina, Grist's first WRC win. Kankkunen and Grist went on to win two more rallies, Rally Australia and the Rally GB. This secured Kankkunen's fourth WRC win. Halfway through 1993 Toyota and Kankkunen bought Grist's contract and he moved to the Toyota team full-time competing in the Celica GT4 ST185. The season began well with a second in Monte Carlo and a win in Portugal, but during the Safari Rally, crashed at 180 km/h after hitting a pothole that had formed due to the rain. By mid season Grist and Kankkunen were tied at the top of the points with Carlos Sainz, but after mechanical problems and the a crash in Finland put them 20 minutes behind and they finished the WRC in 3rd position. In 1995, with only two rallies to go, Kankkunen and Grist started the Rally Catalunya in a comfortable lead, seven points ahead of Colin McRae and the 555 Subaru World Rally Team, when they crashed and had to retire. After the Rally Catalunya, Toyota were found guilty of the implementation of illegal turbo restrictor bypasses on their ST205 cars. The team was given a 12-month ban by the FIA. In 1996, Grist competed with Kankkunen for