Rally win is ‘icing on cake’ for Bird
North motor sport with ZOE BURN
CUMBRIAN race driver Frank Bird returned to the driver’s seat of his Ford Fiesta Rally2 for the first time in four months and swept to an impressive victory last weekend.
Making his debut at the annual event in the Channel Islands, Bird tackled the Roberts Garages Jersey Rally after a summer racing sportscars.
Bird has been busy contesting the ADAC GT Masters Championship in Germany for MANN-FILTER Team LANDGRAF in a Mercedes AMG-GT3.
However, following the late decision to enter his first rally since Rally Barbados in early June, he emerged victorious by nearly two and a half minutes last weekend.
The narrow country lanes presented a unique challenge for Penrith-born Frank and Lake District-based co-driver Jack Morton in their Dom Buckley Motorsport-prepared and Frank Bird Poultry-backed Ford Fiesta.
Starting on Friday evening, the pair set second fastest time on the opening stage of 26 before gradually getting into the swing of things and hitting the front on SS4.
A problem on the next stage relegated them to fifth overall before bouncing back and setting fastest times in the dark on stages eight to 12 to hold a 35-second lead at the overnight halt.
Yesterday Bird flew out of the blocks, and on the 14 stages during the day he set fastest time on all of them to cross the finish ramp over two minutes and 28 seconds ahead of his nearest rival to cap a brilliant performance on his debut.
“We’ve had a top weekend at the Jersey rally,” he said. “These were some of the most challenging roads I’ve ever driven on, so I was just happy to get to the finish and to win on my first time here was the icing on the cake.
“It was such a demanding two days with 26 stages that were only just wide enough for the car in places.
“Thanks to Jack for keeping me on my toes and pulling me back when needed and thanks to the team for preparing a fantastic car. Of course, massive thanks to my dad and our sponsors, I hope to be back next year to defend the title.”
While Frank was busy last week, this weekend is all about the two-wheel world for the Bird family, as the Bennetts British Superbike Championship draws to a close.
It may not have been the season he was hoping for, with riders Tom
Sykes and Josh Brookes struggling all season, but with the championship sewn up yesterday as Bradley Ray took the title, both of Bird’s MCE Ducati machines will have a final chance today. Yesterday, Sykes crossed the line 10th in the first race of the weekend while Brookes retired on the opening lap but both will be looking for good results in today’s two races.