Zoom FST round three on the horizon

Round three of the Fiesta SportingTrophy UK series takes place next Saturday 31 May 2008 as crews head into Wales for the first time for the mid-point of the season event: The Severn Valley Clubman's Rally. The event based at Builth Wells showground will give competitors over 45 miles of classic Welsh forestry stages.

17 registered crews will take to the start of the event, with James Everard (22) from Hull currently leading the series. After two consistent points finishes on the first two rounds, the FST UK regular finds himself leading the championship with new co-driver Sam Collis. The pair have found extra speed and confidence in 2008 and this has rewarded them with their current championship position.

Liam Regan (20) from Belfast is currently lying second in the standings and he returns to the event with Neil Dashfield reading the notes. Regan has stepped up his game this year with two top-four finishes on the previous two rounds and he will be hoping to score well on this event. Being only five points adrift on the championship leader Everard, the young Northern Irishman will be hoping to snatch the series lead by the end of the rally.

Third in the standings is the young Welshman Elfyn Evans (19), from Machynlleth. Evans is currently leading the Irish FST championship and will be partnered by his regular navigator Gareth Roberts. Evans is making an impressive mark on both series and, without an unfortunate mechanical problem on the first round, he could well have been leading both the UK and Irish championships at this point in the year.

Team-mate to Elfyn, Meilyr Evans, will also be hoping for a successful result and has shown increased pace on both the UK and Irish rounds to date, culminating in a podium position in Killarney, a clean run on the event could see him take another top-three spot.

Another series regular, Max Utting (22), holds fourth place in the championship. Utting has had an unlucky start to the season with a number of punctures denying him of possible podium positions, however he has driven well despite the problems and has been rewarded with a good haul of points. Utting will be without his regulator navigator Jemma Bellingham as she is competing in the Barbados Rally Carnival.

Holding fifth in the series is 2007 Irish FST champion Alastair Fisher (19) from Trillick, Co. Tyrone. Fisher will be partnered as usual by Paul Morris, and after a non-finish on Round one and a win on the previous round, the Pirelli National, Fisher will have one aim and that is to take the victory. Fisher will also be competing on the Jim Clark Memorial Rally before the event in his quest to secure a place in the Pirelli Star Driver competition.