Clark looks to continue FST clean-sweep

After securing victory in the 2007 Fiesta SportingTrophy International last month in Germany, Barry Clark heads to Spain next week for a pressure-free Rally RACC Catalunya Costa Daurada. This penultimate round of the FSTi series sees a field of four Ford Fiesta STs, two of which will be making their debut in the championship, keeping Clark on his toes as he looks to take a clean sweep of series victories.

The event covers some 367 kilometres of competitive action along the Spanish coastal region of Costa Daurada. For years it has offered some of the highest speed tarmac roads in the FIA World Rally Championship.

Running down the order, the biggest threat to Clark will be the loose gravel which is dragged onto the smooth tarmac surface by front running competitors taking deep cuts into corners. Pleasant 20 degree plus temperatures and a headquarters right on the eastern Spanish coast makes this event one of the most enjoyable for competitors and the very enthusiastic Spanish rally spectatorship.

To keep his driving skills up-to-speed the 25-year-old will be busy this weekend at the Chatsworth Rally Show in the English midlands. Clark has been given a golden opportunity by M-Sport Managing Director Malcolm Wilson to drive the 2006 BP Ford Focus RS WRC in an exhibition at the show. This will be his first proper drive of a world rally car and the Scotsman is relishing the chance to hop behind the wheel and experience what the top level of performance is all about.

This year Clark has only competed on one tarmac event in the Fiesta, Rally Germany, but a dominant performance there will certainly help his chances come next weekend. Clark will again be paired with English co-driver Scott Martin as they look to dominate the FST round for the sixth time this year.

"It will be good experience for us to come to this event and get to the end. Last year we had a big accident on the second stage and had to retire from the rally so it will be good to get the rally mileage this time round.

Knowing that we have the championship wrapped up already is still not going to stop me from challenging for the win. We have shown pace on all surfaces this year and I hope to continue that on the fast Spanish roads.

"The Rally Show at Chatsworth will be a great experience for me, I have never driven a world car and to be handed the keys to last year’s manufacturers’ winning car is a dream come true. The goal for Catalunya is to get the mileage for future WRC years but for sure I would like to keep the winning run going.

In 2001 I was a member of the McRae Scholarship program in the Scottish Rally Championship, Colin was a true champion, a remarkable Scotsman and will always remain a legend and an inspiration for future rally talent."

Date: 5-7 October 2007

Round: 6 of 7 Fiesta SportingTrophy International

Based: Costa Daurada, Spain

Stage surface: Tarmac

Total distance: 1359.96km (367 competitive)

Number of stages: 18

Number of different stage venues: 9

Maximum number of times same stage roads are used: three

Longest stage: 26.51km (stage 16 & 18)

Highest elevation on stage: 983 metres (on stage 7 & 11)

Central Service Park: Port Aventura

Fiesta SportingTrophy International Championship standings:

1 Barry CLARK GBR 10 10 10 10 10 50

2 Vytautas BARANAUSKAS LIT DNF 6 4 8 8 26

3 Evgeniy VERTUNOV RUS 8 5 8 - - 21

4 Simon HUGHES GBR 5 8 6 - - 19

5 Gianni BARBATI ITA - 4 5 - - 9

6 Sveinung BIELTVEDT NOR 6 - - - - 6

7 Miguel MONTEIRO POR - 3 - - - 3

- Glenn Patterson -