Welcome Welsh return for Kevin
Kevin Davies leads the Fiesta SportingTrophy (FST) series after two rounds, and the young West Walian is determined not to relinquish that lead as he prepares for the Severn Valley Clubman Rally. The 21 year old from Llanfihangel-ar-Arth near Llandysul is determined to keep his rich vein of form intact after a brilliant start to the season.Partnered by the experienced Emyr Jones of Llandysul, MSA British Rally Elite Academy member Davies has been the form driver in the Fiesta SportingTrophy so far. Davies has been one of the few drivers to blend results, consistency, and speed, a feat recognised by Davies topping the championship points tally after a 2nd and 3rd place finish so far. Kevin was just a fraction over 10 seconds behind Pirelli Trophy Rally winner George Thomas after 45 miles of stages, but the Builth Wells based rally on June 3rd will be an equally tough prospect.Backed by KJ's Eden Tours, David Harries and Co, and MM Ford, Davies has already shown that his impressive consistency from 2005 was no fluke. The Geoff Jones Motorsport run driver notched an impressive seven class wins from eight starts last season, including a class win on Wales Rally GB, the Welsh round of the FIA World Rally Championship. Amazingly it was Kevin's first season of competitive rallying, and the learning curve has been huge so far for the apprentice technician.With further backing from rallycarsales.net and X-Cite Motorsport Supplies, Kevin has taken to his Ford Fiesta ST150 like the proverbial duck to water, despite minimal testing. The forests of Mid Wales hold no fears for Kevin, as he tackled Crychan and Halfway forests during Wales Rally GB and the Quinton Stages Rally last year. As such, this will be a good chance for Kevin to make the most of home advantage in Wales. Plenty of home support will be required for Davies to reach the top step of the podium, as he will face the sternest of opposition as he bids to extend his championship lead. The youngster is more than aware of the task ahead:'Things have gone far better than I expected' said Kevin. 'I thought the lack of testing would have held us back, but I've been fortunate to have two decent clear runs so far. My confidence is starting to get there with the Fiesta now, and I'm feeling quite comfortable in the car. I felt as though our overall pace had definitely increased from the first to second event, but this third event is going to be crucial. We know that points scoring, and high scores in particular are very important at this stage of the year. The Fiesta SportingTrophy has already proved itself to be as competitive a championship as we all expected it to be, and whoever finishes on the podium has very much deserved to be there. Another decent points score will do for me next weekend, although if there is a chance to go for the victory we certainly will. Three good scores in the bag is more important for Emyr and myself at the moment - the champagne can wait a bit longer - but not too long!'Davies has also been busy away from the gravel roads of his native Wales. The Welshman has visited Edinburgh University as part of his selection in the MSA British Rally Elite Academy. Davies has recently been working hard on both his physical and mental preparation for events. Kevin has already found the support and guidance on offer from the Academy to be extremely useful in an area of the sport he had not previously explored in any detail.