WELCOME TO THE FIESTA SPORTTROPHY IRELAND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HANKOOK NORTHERN IRELAND RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP.

M-Sport, the team behind Ford’s FIA World Rally Championship programme is delighted to bring for a sixth consecutive season, the exciting Fiesta SportTrophy (FST) to Ireland for the 2012 season.

The nine round mixed surface series will follow all of the Hankook MSA Northern Ireland Rally Championship (NIRC) events, starting with the Kirkstown Stages in February and finishing with the Bushwacker Rally in September.

The 2012 series will once again see the popular Fiesta R2 rally car competing in the championship alongside the successful Gp N Fiesta ST rally car and debuting the 2012 championship will be the new Ford Fiesta R1. Built to current FIA regulations and aimed at young drivers eager to start their rallying career, the R1 aims to be the first step on Ford's 'Ladder Of Opportunity', which allows competitors to graduate, with Ford, from national right though to the World Rally Championship stage.

The championship is aimed at all competitors, young and old, experienced and amateur, all with the aim of enjoying close competition allied to professional support.

M-Sport is offering a prize fund that will provide financial support for competitors down to third on each round if there are five or more registrations, or down to second if there are less than five. At the end of the season, the winner will recieve a test day in a Ford Fiesta S2000 with instruction from an M-Sport nominated team driver.

2012 also sees the continuation of the successful WRC Academy, the single make Ford Fiesta R2 series follows six rounds of the WRC Calendar and will act as a stepping stone from national rallies to the fast pace and high standards of the WRC rounds. The championship includes a diverse selection of drivers from all over the world including six hand picked Pirelli Star Drivers.