Fiesta's final foray!
The Fiesta SportingTrophy UK will make one last journey to Wales this season for the final round of the 2007 series, the Bulldog Clubman Rally next Saturday, 20 October. Thirteen FST registered crews will take to the start ramp in Oswestry on Saturday morning ahead of 45 competitive miles over four demanding stages.
Jonathan Greer, 19-years-old from Carryduff and co-driver and Jonny Hart, will lead the field away from the start after already clinching the 2007 title. The Ulster duo won the series after last month’s penultimate round, the McRae Stages Rally, having scored maximum points on the Perth based event. The talented young crew have already won three rounds out of seven in the UK series and recently secured second overall in the Irish FST championship.
2007 Irish Fiesta SportingTrophy winner Alastair Fisher, along with experienced co-driver Paul Morris on the notes, will start the event just behind Greer. Fisher, 19-years-old from Enniskillen, has already sealed second place in the UK series to add to his Irish success after a polished performance in his first season in the championship.
Young Welsh star Elfyn Evans, 18-years-old from Machynlleth along with 2006 FST UK winning co-driver Richard Edwards, will be hoping to take his first FST win of the season. Evans finished second on the McRae Stages and has taken third place on the podium on three rounds so far this year so a win on home soil would surely be the icing on the cake.
With first, second and third place already decided, the battle for fourth place is yet to be resolved. Early series leader Tom Walster, 21-years-old from Nottingham, will once again have Tim Sturla co-driving. Walster led the championship from round one, the Malcolm Wilson Rally, but three non-scores so far this season has pushed him down the order to fifth place going into the final round.
Liam Regan, 19-years-old from Belfast, will start the event behind Walster despite being ahead of him in the overall standings. The young Ulster driver will have Neil ‘Dashers’ Dashfield on the notes as he prepares to defend his fourth place spot against Walster.
Max Utting and co-driver Huw Mathias will make a welcome return to the FST series having missed the McRae Stages last month. Utting, 21-years-old and living in Oxford, currently occupies ninth overall in the series but will commence the event with a chance of finishing in sixth place.
James Everard, 22-years-old from Hull, is Utting’s main rival for sixth place with both drivers separated by a mere two points going into the final round. Everard will once again be co-driven by David Jobling. Richard Archer currently lies in 13th place in the overall standings after having three non-scores so far this season but can also finish as high up as sixth place and will be keeping a sharp eye on his closest rivals, Utting, Everard and Barry Greer.
Barry Greer, 20-years-old from Carryduff, currently sits just inside the top-ten in the drivers’ standings and needs to aim for a high finish. Greer, co-driven by John Lemon, is also on course to scoop the Competition Car Insurance Best Improved on Seeding award.
Stephen Parry-Jones and Jamie Edwards also make a welcome return to the series having sat out of the last two rounds, the Mewla National Rally and the McRae Stages Rally. Parry-Jones, 27-years-old and living in London, is currently three points ahead of his father Richard in the overall standings.
Clive Hilton also missed the McRae Stages Rally and also has David Ingamells back in the co-driver seat for the final round. Hilton, 44 from Newark, will take his immaculate Fiesta over the start ramp just ahead of Tim Sunderland and Andy Street who round off the Fiesta SportingTrophy UK contenders. Sunderland has started three events out of seven rounds this season and currently sits just outside the top-20 overall standings.
2007 FST UK champion Jonathan Greer said:
“I am looking forward to the rally. As the championship is decided already, there is no pressure on me. I will go out on the first couple of stages and see what the pace is like. We’ll see how it goes.”
All Fiesta SportingTrophy crews will be competing for a prize fund of just under £3,000 for the event. The top-eight crews will walk away with a prize cheque worth from £750 to £75.