Fiesta match-point for Clark in Germany

The Stobart Motorsport crew of Barry Clark and Scott Martin are just inches away from the Fiesta Sporting Trophy International title and can clinch the honours next week in Germany. A top-two finish in next week’s fifth round of the Fiesta SportingTrophy International, ADAC Rallye Deutschland, would mean a series win for the British pair.

The Carlisle-based crew have won all four FSTi rounds this year and will be looking to wrap up the series in Germany despite the fact there are still three rounds remaining. Clark’s dominance this year has been outstanding and put down to his incredible speed and consistency in the Stobart Ford Fiesta ST.

Weather pending, Rallye Deutschland can be one of the trickiest events on the FIA World Rally Championship calendar. Notorious for its heavy downpours at this time of year the various mix of sealed tarmac roads can become extremely slippery when mud and debris is washed onto them.

Gaining WRC status in 2002 the event is based in Trier, previously a predominant Romany city and home to the famous Moselle River. The event covers 356 competitive kilometres around the city region through vineyards, military training grounds and tricky closed road stages.

It has been only seven days since Clark’s last victory on the previous FSTi round - Rally Finland - and the Scotsman has still found time to squeeze in a local event at the Speyside Stages Rally this weekend, round six of the Scottish Rally Championship. This will keep the 25-year-old on top of his game ahead of the all important German event in seven days time.

"This will be our first tarmac event of the year in the Fiesta and I’m really looking forward to it. I wouldn’t say I have a preferred surface, I just like to drive of any roads so I can’t see why we shouldn’t be able to get another good result in Germany. Again our aim is to make it through the event without any major problems and I think if we can do this then a top-two finish is certainly achievable.

To wrap up the championship here would be a dream. We came so close to wining it last year that it is one I really want to take home next week. We’ll have to wait and see though, it can be a very unpredictable rally especially if the weather turns bad."

Date: 17–19 August 2007

Round: 5 of 7 Fiesta Sporting Trophy International

Based: Trier, Germany

Stage surface: Tarmac (some broken surfaces)

Total distance: 1227.04km (356 competitive).

Number of stages: 19

Number of different stage venues: 10

Maximum number of times same stage roads are used: twice

Longest stage: 30.55km (stage 10 & 14)

Highest elevation on stage: 520 metres (on stage 10 & 14)

Central Service Park: Messepark, Trier

Fiesta SportingTrophy International Championship standings:

1 Barry CLARK GBR 10 10 10 10 40

2 Evgeniy VERTUNOV RUS 8 5 8 - - 21

3 Simon HUGHES GBR 5 8 6 - - 19

4 Vytautas BARANAUSKAS LIT DNF 6 4 8 18

5 Gianni BARBATI ITA - 4 5 - - 9

6 Sveinung BIELTVEDT NOR 6 - - - - 6

7 Miguel MONTEIRO POR - 3 - - - 3

- Stobart Motorsport -