by Rob Wilkins
2007 Fiesta SportingTrophy International series winner Barry Clark has said that he feels ready to make his debut in a World Rally Car at the pinnacle of the sport.
Clark will get to use a latest spec Ford Focus RS WRC on three rounds of the
FIA World Rally Championship this season and while he gets one outing for free - as a reward for coming out top in the FSTi championship, he will also take in two other events after acquiring additional funding.
The Scot is now determined to make the most of his outings in Turkey, Corsica and Wales: "I am over the moon," he told
Crash.net Radio recently. "It is an absolutely fantastic opportunity for me to get into a World Rally Car and be up against the main guys in the world championship.
"It is a massive step for us from the little Group N Fiesta. But it is one that I am ready to make and I am delighted to have gotten the opportunity. [Ford boss] Malcolm Wilson has been fantastic and we have been able to come up with this deal to do three rallies.
"I have never done Turkey before, but I have done Corsica and GB. It is a challenge I am thoroughly looking forward to."
Clark is aware though that that he will face a steep learning curve and that the Focus is going to be a very different beast to the Fiesta ST he used in 2007.
"They are totally different cars. The Fiesta ST is a road car with a few competition bits on it, whereas the Focus is an out and out rally car," he explained. "Obviously it is four-wheel drive as well and there is much more power with the turbo. There is an awful lot to get use to.
"But hopefully I will be able to get out in the car a few times before the Rally of Turkey in June and get some miles and experience under my belt."
To date Clark has only driven the Focus RS WRC on a handful of occasions, doing the odd shakedown and some demo runs at the Chatswoth Rally Show last September. Unsurprisingly then, he is going to approach the events in Turkey, France and GB with caution.
