WRC chance for FST Drivers
M-Sport, the promoters of the Fiesta SportingTrophy in both the UK and Ireland have created an incentive for the increasing number of drivers that register for both the UK and Irish FST series.
With more and more drivers seeing the advantages that regular competition on both sides of the water creates, M-Sport have acted to develop an incentive that will see more young drivers follow in the footsteps of the likes of Alastair Fisher, Jonny Greer and Elfyn Evans and combine the gravel series in the UK with the Tarmac series in Ireland.
The incentive will give all drivers that start 8 of the 12 possible events in the UK and Irish series the chance to drive a Ford Focus WRC at a specially created drive opportunity in Cumbria in December 2008.
All those that start a minimum of 8 FST rounds in the UK and Irish series will be invited to come to Cumbria and get a chance to sample the experience behind the wheel of the car that currently leads the FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers, the Ford Focus WRC.
In addition, during the course of the year all the drivers will be assessed by a team from M-Sport and one driver will be offered an extended opportunity. The selected driver will have their travel expenses paid, they will be accommodated at a hotel in Cockermouth where they will be invited to dinner with M-Sport managing director, Malcolm Wilson. The following day, they will be equipped with a WRC replica overall and they will have an extended opportunity to test the Ford Focus WRC at a venue in Cumbria with coaching from a member of the M-Sport team.
Malcolm Wilson, Managing Director of M-Sport said:
"This has been something that we have been trying to support as we have seen the benefit that the drivers have had from doing both the UK and Irish series. The experience gained by doing both the UK gravel series and the Irish asphalt series on their own pace-notes is excellent preparation for the next step of the ladder towards the WRC. Through this initiative we hope to re-pay the commitment shown by the FST drivers and give them a glimpse of what they aspire to - the top step of the ladder of opportunity."