M-Sport, the team behind Ford's FIA World Rally Championship programme, is delighted to announce registrations are now open for the Fiesta SportTrophy Ireland (FST).

FST Ireland will continue to be a platform for up-and-coming drivers eager to prove themselves in a single make series along with experienced and amateur drivers of all ages battling for the title of Fiesta SportTrophy Ireland 2012 Champion.

The Northern Irish Rally Championship (NIRC) follows a series of mixed surface rallies including some of the greatest events that Ireland has to offer. The NIRC will kick off the year with the Kirkstown Stages in February. The best seven scores out of ten in the FST will count towards the final championship standings. The end-of-season prize for the FST Champion will be a test in a Ford Fiesta S2000 with instruction from an M-Sport WRC driver.

Eligible cars for the NIRC and FST in 2012 include the Ford Fiesta ST, the class winning Fiesta R2 and the new Ford Fiesta R1 and MS1.  Debuting in 2012 is the Fiesta R1, which will launch in to action as a serious challenger within various other national championships.  Built to current FIA R1 regulations and aimed at those just starting out on their rallying career, the Ford Fiesta R1 forms the first step on the Ford's 'Ladder of Opportunity', which allows competitors to graduate, with Ford, from national level right through to the top echelons of the WRC.

Having a strong pedigree behind it in the form of the Ford Fiesta R2, which is currently running successfully on the world stage in the WRC Academy, the R1 is designed to use parts also found on the Fiesta R2, allowing competitors to progress from the Fiesta R1 to the Fiesta R2, via the new Fiesta MS1, a Fiesta R1 with optional Fiesta R2 upgrades. 

This means that M-Sport have now developed and produced a comprehensive series of options for young drivers, offering more opportunities for them to climb Ford's 'Ladder of Opportunity'.

Driver and co-driver registration for the FST are included in the NIRC registration, this is free upon completion of the relevant NIRC documentation. Please contact NIRC series Co-ordinator David Gilmore for further details: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it not later than the end of administrative checks for each event from which points will be awarded, you can also find the registration form at:

http://www.fiestasporttrophy.ie/index.php/component/remository/func-startdown/67/

2012 Fiesta SportTrophy Ireland Calendar:

For further information on the 2012 Fiesta SportTrophy Ireland or the Ford Fiesta R2 please contact series co-ordinator Dave Pearce on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.fiestasporttrophy.ie or www.fiestar2.com