The Kick Energy Fiesta SportTrophy UK (FST UK) enters a new era next weekend with the start of the 2010 championship on the traditional season opener, the Malcolm Wilson Rally.  The fifth consecutive FST UK championship sees two exciting new introductions, a new car in the shape of the Fiesta R2, and a new championship, the Fiesta SportChallenge (FSC), providing competitors with more choice than ever before.

 The Cumbrian countryside provides a picturesque backdrop to the start of another exciting FST UK championship.  Based at the Dovenby headquarters of M-Sport, the team behind both the Fiesta SportTrophy and the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, the Malcolm Wilson Rally takes place over seven gravel stages covering 41 competitive miles around some of the most famous forests in UK rallying including Greystoke and Grizedale.

The R2 will compete alongside the well-proven Group N Fiesta ST over the seven round mixed surface Fiesta SportTrophy UK championship.  Both cars will be eligible for championship points and a share of the £1,850 prize fund, guaranteed to the top five FST UK finishers.  The FST UK championship runs alongside the British Rally Championship on all six international rallies that make up the BRC.  Registered competitors will also score points towards the British Rally Championship.

The Fiesta SportChallenge is a new championship for 2010 offering Fiesta ST competitors a more cost-effective alternative to the Fiesta SportTrophy.  Running alongside the BRC Challenge, the championship is aimed at young drivers starting out in rallying, as well as those more experienced competitors who want tackle some of the UK's finest stages without incurring the cost of the BRC two day format.  The top three FSC finishers are guaranteed a share of the £850 prize fund.

Chesterfield based businessman Steve Perez once again provides title sponsorship to the series through Global Brands Ltd (GBL) and their Kick Energy brand.  Steve will also be competing on the Malcolm Wilson Rally in his Kick Energy backed Ford Focus RS WRC. 

Pirelli Tyres return for a third season as technical sponsor and supplier of control tyres to the series ensuring all competitors have equal rubber for each event.  ATL Events will be on hand at all FST UK events to offer technical advice and first class fitting service.

Castrol will continue with the 'Hard Charger' award for the highest number of fastest stage times and Competition Car Insurance will continue to support the series for the 2010 season.

With the top six finishers from 2009 all moving on from the FST series, the 2010 championship couldn't be more open.  19-year-old Welshman Tom Watson is the highest placed returning driver from 2009. Tom finished a creditable seventh in his first season in rallying and will look to challenge for the championship in 2010 alongside new co-driver Paul Morris.  Morris already has plenty of FST experience having previously co-driven for 2007 FST Ireland champion, Alistair Fisher.

John Boyd, 22 from West Linton, also enjoyed a good debut season in the Fiesta SportTrophy in 2009, steadily building his pace over the year to finish eighth overall.  A former karting frontrunner, Boyd won the final round of the FST UK championship in 2009 and will hope to carry that momentum in 2010 when he teams up with new co-driver, fellow Scotsman, Craig Wallace.

FST UK newcomer Peter Taylor will drive the R2 entry for the Malcolm Wilson Rally.  The Carlisle based 18-year-old made his rallying debut on the Border Counties Rally in 2009 and will team up with experienced co-driver Andy Richardson for his graduation to the FST UK championship.

2008 double FST UK and Ireland champion Elfyn Evans and his team-mate Richard Parry-Jones both make a welcome return to the series having sat out the 2009 season.   Evans will hope to pick up where he left off and starts the season among the favourites to take the Fiesta SportTrophy crown.  He will be co-driven by Andrew Edwards, who also has previous experience in the FST, having been runner up to Gareth Roberts in the 2008 co-drivers standings.  Former Ford of Europe Vice President Richard Parry-Jones makes his competitive return in the 2010 Fiesta SportChallenge and will, again, be co-driven by Sara Price.

Jamie Brown made his FST debut in 2009, but has much more experience than his 18years would suggest.  Brown spent five years competing in karts before moving on to compete in the Saxmax circuit racing championship for 14-17 year olds, as well as in junior rallies in Latvia.  Brown will be co-driven by Craig Burgess, who has been co-driving since before Jamie was born; the pairing will be hoping that the mixture of youth and experience will produce the results in 2010.

The car used by 2009 FST UK runner up Matt Edwards makes a return to the championship in 2010, this time in the hands of the experienced John Pritchard. Pritchard competed on his first rally in 1978 and has decided to return to competition during his 50^th year.  The 1995 Skoda Trophy championship winner, Pritchard will be looking to show the youngsters a thing or two!

Former FST UK championship co-ordinator Richard Millener will experience the championship from the other side of the fence in 2010, having signed up to co-drive for Jonny Cunningham.  The 2009 Irish Junior Championship runner-up and Billy Coleman Award nominee, 26-year-old Cunningham only started competing late in 2008, but was quickly up to speed and will be looking to give some of the more experienced competition a run for their money.  He was runner up in the Billy Coleman Award to 2009 multiple FST champion Craig Breen.  Cunningham will be out to emulate his fellow countryman's success in the Fiesta SportChallenge.

28-year-old Damien Smith from Silsden, West Yorkshire, joins the Fiesta SportChallenge having finished as runner-up in the 205 Challenge in 2009.  A former motocross rider, Smith finished second in class on his rallying debut on the Twyford Wood Rally in 2007 and made the permanent switch to four wheels last year.

Alex Laffey (21) from Market Harborough steps up to the Fiesta SportChallenge having competed on several national rallies in 2008 and 2009.  Co-driven by Daniel Swainbank the pairing will be out to gain experience in their first full year of competition.

Dan O'Brien is the youngest competitor to tackle the FSC this year, having only turned 17 in November 2009.  The 2008 British and Irish and 2009 Irish Junior rallycross champion competed on his first rally in a Fiesta ST just twelve days after his 17^th birthday, having passed his driving test in the week leading up to the event.  O'Brien follows in the footsteps of his father Mick, who regularly competes in a Ford Focus WRC.

As in 2009, all registered competitors will have the opportunity to attend a pre-event test and training day.  The test day will take place in Greystoke Forest on Thursday 4 March.  Competitors will then move into M-Sport's Dovenby HQ on Friday 5 March, where they will be offered media and competitor skills training from experienced members of the sport.  The day should give competitors an insight into what is involved in a career in rallying aside from simply driving and also provide a useful insight into what may be involved in the end of year FST Shootout.

As well as a guaranteed prize fund for both the FST and FSC at each event, M-Sport is offering the championship winners the chance to join the M-Sport team in a Fiesta R2.  The winner of the Fiesta SportTrophy will have the chance to compete on MSA Rally Scotland; the final round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, in a M-Sport prepared and maintained Fiesta R2.  The winner of the Fiesta SportChallenge will have the chance to compete on the final round of the British Rally Championship and FST UK; the International Rally Yorkshire, also in a M-Sport prepared and maintained Fiesta R2.  The winner of each championship plus one wildcard will be entered into the end of year FST Shootout for the chance to win a years work placement with M-Sport.

Following the Malcolm Wilson Rally, both the FST and FSC move on to North Wales for the first round of the British Rally Championship and BRC Challenge, the Bulldog International Rally of North Wales and the Bulldog Challenge Rally, on 27 March 2010.

 Fiesta SportTrophy UK Calendar 2010

Fiesta SportChallenge Calendar 2010

**Competitors must nominate either the Manx or Ulster Challenge Rally as a points scoring round.

For further information on the Fiesta SportTrophy UK please contact series co-ordinator Callum Craw on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.fiestasporttrophy.co.uk