BIRD SEEKS SUNSEEKER SUCCESS IN SUBARU
17 February 2006 - Subaru (UK) Ltd

THE 2006 MSA GRAVEL RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

Round 1 - Rallye Sunseeker, Bournemouth – Friday 24th & Saturday 25th February 2006

2005 National Rally Champion Paul Bird returns to the place where his successful campaign got underway twelve months ago, when he contests the Rally Sunseeker based in Bournemouth next weekend.

After clinching the title last year, the Penrith businessman announced he was scaling down his rallying activities in order to concentrate on re-establishing his British Superbike Championship team but the temptation of contesting the opening round of the MSA Gravel Rally Championship proved too much for him and as a result, he’ll be lining up on the South Coast next Friday evening:

“We got a lot sorted very early on in the close season regarding the Superbike team and both my riders were signed up in early November which has given me a little more time than I thought I’d have” said Bird.

Having sold his championship-winning Ford Focus WRC, Bird, along with co driver Ian Windress from Northallerton, has resorted to Subaru power for Rallye Sunseeker and will take to the wheel of an Impreza WRC owned by Irishman Derek McGarrity for the two day event:

“It’s been an ambition of mine for a while now to drive a late model Subaru WRC and I’m really excited about the prospect. Steve Smith at Prodrive was very keen to get me in one of their cars and Derek has come up with the goods and the deal we have done means I can use one of his cars on whatever events I want.”

Bird, who will test the car next week just prior to Rallye Sunseeker, will start at number four on the Southern CC & Croydon & DMC event which gets underway with the traditional blast through the Winter Gardens in Bournemouth on Friday evening – whereby the Cumbrian has been fastest for the past two years - before a day spent in the forests around Ringwood and Wareham on Saturday and he’s planning on a successful event:

“I’m not going to make up the numbers, that’s for sure and I’ll be shooting for the hat-trick of ANCRO wins having won the last two events of 2005. I’d love to win the Sunseeker but second place is of no interest to me, I’m going down there to win and it will be maximum attack from SS1 right to the finish” declared the former GP motocross rider and triple Irish Supermoto champion.

Picture attached (Ian Hardy) Paul Bird and Ian Windress aim for more success, this time with Subaru power on Rallye Sunseeker.

www.subaru.co.uk

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