2010 Fiesta SportTrophy UK

Championship Points after Final Round 5

Posted: June 1, 2010 1:07 PM

Pos Driver/Co-Driver Points*
1 E Evans/A Edwards 120
2 J MacCrone/S Loudon 95
3 J Boyd/C Wallace 75
4 P Taylor/P Hughes 48
5 M Cathcart/S Hudspeth 18
6 T Watson/P Morris 16
*After dropped scores.

Cunningham and Millener Tackle the Fiesta SportChallenge

Posted: March 6, 2010 8:27 PM

Runner up in the 2009 Billy Coleman award and second placed man from the National Irish Junior Championship 2009, Jonathan Cunningham (26) from Galway, Ireland, has managed to secure a late deal giving him a chance to compete against some of the country’s best up and coming drivers in the 2010 Fiesta SportChallenge (FSC) driving a highly competitive Fiesta ST 150 Gp.N rally car.

The talented young Irishman was unsure where to go after his success in 2009 but has decided the benefits of a one make series are the best place to fine tune his talents and help progress his driving career.

The Fiesta SportTrophy is a new championship for 2010 which is run by M-Sport, the outfit behind the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team. It is a new championship aimed for clubman competitors which sees the series run over six rounds starting with this weekend’s Malcolm Wilson Rally and then following the first five rounds of the British Rally Championship Challenge series. The winner of the series will get to compete on the final round of the British Rally Championship, The International Rally Yorkshire in an M-Sport run and prepared Fiesta R2. The FSC sees all competitors fighting on a level playing field all running identical cars on the same Pirelli gravel K6 tyre, this ensures the competition is always close and highly exciting.

Cunningham, who is a shell fabricator by day at M-Sport, building the bodyshell’s for M-Sport’s new Fiesta S2000 will be partnered by another M-Sport employee in the form of Richard Millener (25) from Workington, Cumbria. Millener has spent the last two season’s co-ordinating the Fiesta SportTrophy but has now moved roles within M-Sport, also over to the Fiesta S2000 project allowing him some spare time. When the deal for Cunningham came off Millener decided there was no better chance to get back out and competing so he has decided to join the Cunningham Motorsport team for the 2010 season.

Cunningham and Millener have already competed together in Ireland during 2009 and with the added bonus of them being housemates whilst living in Cumbria they have been working hard in the run up to the event developing pace notes and fine tuning the I-Cars Motorsport hired Fiesta ST in a bid to help them try and finish as highly as possible at this weekends event.

As a bonus for being a registered competitor of the FSC, Cunningham and Millener and all the FSC competitors were offered the chance of a pre-championship test day on Thursday. The pairing used the day to its fullest by getting some competitive mileage in the car, a necessity as Cunningham was otherwise yet to drive the car before the start of the event! After some minor setup changes the crew are happy with their progress and ready to start the event early on Saturday Morning.

The event starts from Cockermouth High Street at 8.30 am before taking in stages in the Comb, Wythop, Hobcarton and Greystoke Forests. A short service halt in Penrith is followed by two long stages in the Grisedale forest complex. A final service halt is then followed by the last stage of the event again in the Greystoke forest area before crews return to the finish in Cockermouth High Street.

Cunningham and Millener will be up against seven other FSC competitors and will be aiming to finish in the top spot and take home the top prize money of £500.

Jonathan Cunningham on the eve of the event said:
“It is great that we have been able to put something together allowing me to compete in the most renowned single make series in the country. The competition in this championship is usually very close and there are always some great drivers competing. For the first event my only aim is to finish! We will see how we get on but I am really looking forward to the event!”

Navigator Richard Millener said:
“It was only three months ago that I was in charge of co-ordinating this championship for M-Sport. I never thought that I would be competing in the series in 2010! However, I am really looking forward to the series as I know how competitive and how much fun it is! Me and Jonny have a good friendship and I hope this will allow us to get on well in the car and end up with a good result in the FSC come Saturday afternoon.

Fiesta SportTrophy UK entries open

Posted: January 29, 2010 3:49 PM

Fiesta SportTrophy UK (FST UK) organisers M-Sport are pleased to announce that registrations are now open for the 2010 championship.  

Registrations are now being taken for both the Fiesta SportTrophy and for the new Fiesta SportChallenge. Competitors who would like to compete in 2010 can register for either championship by completing the online registration form that can be found in the Competitors' section of www.fiestasporttrophy.co.uk. Regulations for FST UK, which includes the new Fiesta R2, are also available to download from the Competitors' section of the site.

  After kicking off with the Malcolm Wilson Rally on 6 March, FST UK will then run alongside the British Rally Championship (BRC), which takes in  six rounds over the full international distance. Out of the seven points scoring events, the best six scores will count towards the final championship standings for each competitor.  

Both the Fiesta ST and the new Fiesta R2 are eligible for the FST championship as well as the prize fund. The prize fund offers a total fund of £1,850 at every event and is guaranteed to the top five FST UK finishers.  

The Fiesta SportChallenge is a new for championship for 2010 exclusively for the Group N Fiesta ST.  Also starting with the Malcolm Wilson Rally, the championship then competes on the first five rounds of the BRC Challenge.   

With fewer stage miles and lower entry fees, the Fiesta SportChallenge is a cost effective way for drivers to gain experience on some of the UK's most famous stages before moving up to the FST.  At each event there will also be an £850 guaranteed prize fund for the top three finishers.

Registration and Details:

Fiesta Sporting Trophy UK

Millener Moves to S2000

Posted: January 5, 2010 5:13 PM

Following two successful seasons at the helm, Fiesta SportTrophy UK and Ireland co-ordinator Richard Millener has announced that he will move on from the position ahead of the 2010 campaign. Richard will remain at M-Sport and move to the client support department with responsibility for the all new M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000.

Replacing Richard as FST UK and Ireland co-ordinator is Motorsport Engineering graduate, Callum Craw. Callum (23), from Galashiels, graduated from the University of Central Lancashire, Preston in May 2008. He joined M-Sport just over a year ago. Having previously worked in Formula Ford, Formula Renault, Ginetta Juniors and karting, Callum brings a wide range of motorsport experience to the role. Callum will take over the day to day running of FST UK and Ireland from January 2010 and will attend all of the events next season.

The 2010 FST Ireland takes place over 6 single day events following the Irish Tarmac championship, beginning with the Galway International Rally on the 5th-7th February 2010. The FST events consist of the stages used on the first day of the international competition, with the competitors then having the option to continue on day two and score Irish Tarmac Championship points. The format gives competitors the chance to learn the daunting Irish stages in a cost effective yet competitive manner. Both the existing Group N Fiesta ST and the new Fiesta R2 are eligible to score championship points. All six scores count to the final championship standings, with the winner receiving a drive on Rally Condroz, Belgium, in a Fiesta R2.

For 2010, FST UK competitors will have the choice of two championships to compete in. The Fiesta SportTrophy, which is open to drivers in both the Fiesta ST and Fiesta R2, begins with the Malcolm Wilson Rally on the 6th March 2010. The championship then moves on to follow the entire British Rally Championship series with competitors getting the chance to compete the same legendary stages in the series, as well as competing at an International level. Competitors will count their six top scores from the seven events in the series. The overall winner will receive a supported drive in a Fiesta R2 on the Rally of Scotland, the final round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

The second UK series, which is new for 2010, is the Fiesta SportChallenge. This is only open to the well proven Fiesta ST and also begins with the Malcolm Wilson Rally on the 6th March 2010. The championship then follows the first five rounds of the British Rally Championship Challenge series. Competitors will have the chance to compete on 45 to 60 stage miles of the full international rallies at a cost effective price. All six scores make up the final championship standings with the winner receiving a supported drive in a Fiesta R2 on the International Rally Yorkshire, the final round of the FST UK and British Rally Championship.

As well as the prize drives the three winners will gain an entry to the end of season FST "Shootout" and the chance of winning a years employment with M Sport.

Callum Craw said:
"I am really excited about starting my new role as FST UK and Ireland co-ordinator. It is a great championship and a cost effective way for young drivers to get started in rallying. I am looking forward to getting out there and meeting the competitors, most of whom I have already heard so much about. Richard has done a great job over the last two years and I am pleased to be given the opportunity to take over the role."

New Look Fiesta SportTrophy (FST) and Fiesta SportChallenge (FSC) series’ to the UK for the 2010 season.

Posted: January 5, 2010 3:09 PM

M-Sport, the team behind Ford’s FIA World Rally Championship programme is delighted to bring, for a fifth consecutive year, the new look Fiesta SportTrophy (FST) and Fiesta SportChallenge (FSC) series’ to the UK for the 2010 season.

The Fiesta SportTrophy is a seven round mixed surface championship which will start with the Malcolm Wilson Rally based at the team's Dovenby Hall HQ in Cockermouth. The series will then follow the entire British Rally Championship for the rest of the season. All the events will be of International format apart from the Malcolm Wilson Rally (National B). The series will showcase the brand new Fiesta R2, but also allow its successful predecessor, the GpN Fiesta ST, to compete alongside.

The Fiesta SportChallenge (FSC) is an all new championship based within the British Rally Challenge Championship. The six round mixed surface series will start with the Malcolm Wilson Rally and then follow the first five rounds of the BRC Challenge with competitors nominating either the Manx or Ulster rallies as their points scoring event.

On-Event technical support for the one-make championship will once again come from Malcolm Wilson’s M-Sport Team who will attend each round with full parts support, and the championship will be administered from the Dovenby Headquarters.

M-Sport is offering a prize fund that will provide financial support for competitors in both series. The Fiesta SportTrophy will see the winner on each round receiving £750, down to £100 for fifth. The Fiesta SportChallenge will offer the winner of each round £500 down to £100 for third. At the end of the season, the winner of the Fiesta SportTrophy will receive the opportunity to compete on the final round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, the UK RAC MSA Rally of Scotland in an M-Sport prepared and maintained Ford Fiesta R2 as part of the M-Sport team.

The winner of the Fiesta SportChallenge will have the opportunity to compete on the final round of the British Rally Championship, the International Rally Yorkshire, in an M-Sport prepared and maintained Ford Fiesta R2 as part of the M-Sport Team. The top finisher in each championship and one ‘wildcard’ will win the opportunity to go forward to the FST International Shootout. The highest placed FST and BRC registered junior driver in the Fiesta SportTrophy will also receive an automatic place on the 2010 Pirelli Star Driver Shootout competition.

Championship Rounds

Posted: January 5, 2010 3:05 PM

1. Malcolm Wilson Rally 06-March-10
2. International Rally of North Wales (Bulldog) 26-27 March 2010
3. Pirelli International Rally 23-24 April 201
4. Jim Clark International Rally 28-29 May 2010
5. Rally Isle of Man 9-10 July 2010
6. Ulster International Rally 20-21 August 2010
7. International Rally Yorkshire 25-Sepember-10

Fiesta Sporting Trophy UK