This weekend will see Robert travel with Matthew Bettridge over to the UK where they will contest the Malcolm Wilson Stages. This event is the opening round of the Ford Rallye Sport Ka Championship, which the lads plan to contest throughout this year. The prize for winning this championship is a Super 1600 Car from Ford Rallye Sport for the 2004 British Rally Championship.

The stages for this event are run on some classic forest tracks in the Lake District and both have had some experience of what to expect having done the Grizedale Stages in 2001 and 2002. Parts of the stages contested then form stages on this rally.

It will be the first time Matthew and Robert have competed together, but are both confident they can go well. It will also be a first for the both of them using pace notes to navigate there way between the trees.

With the 1400 runners going out ahead of the main field they should have a good run through the stages before the powerful 4x4's go through.

Starting around quarter past nine they should be finished close to three o'clock.

Thanks for support goes to the Manx Motorsport Youth Trust, Bettridge Motors, Manx Automobile Assistance, Manx.net and Integrated Capabilities.