BILHAM HOPING TO END SEASON ON A HIGH ABOARD FIESTA R5
BTRDA Rally Series rookie Sam Bilham believes he has finally
“got to grips” with his Swift Group Ford Fiesta R5 after recording a maiden podium on the Nicky Grist Stages last month.
The 2017 Fiesta ST Trophy champion graduated to the R5 category this season after competing in just two events in a Fiesta R2 in 2018.
Bilham’s previous best results were a pair of sixth places but he is now confident of stronger results.
“That podium was a real confidence booster,” Bilham told Motorsport News. “It made up for the disappointment of the Plains [where he retired with wheel damage]; we had a good test on the Friday, got off on the right foot on SS1 and just kicked on from there.
“At the start of the year, I was over ambitious in my expectations but now I feel like I’m really starting to get to grips with the car now which hopefully means we can have a strong final two rounds.”
Bilham also put his recent upturn in form down to the tutelage of British Rally champion Matt Edwards, who won the British Rally Championship and BTRDA titles in a Peter Smith Swift-backed Fiesta R5 in 2018.
“I’ve worked closely with Matt this year and he’s really helped in my development. I’m phoning him all the time with questions and it’s paying off,” Bilham said.
“He’s very good at explaining things and that helps me a lot, because I haven’t had much time in an R5; I jumped straight from an R2 so it has taken a bit of time to get used to it.”