Former National Champion Paul Bird returns to the rally stages this Saturday (1st December) when he contests the Coppermines Grizedale Stages Rally in his native Lake District.
Bird, from Langwathby near Penrith, was last in the forests way back in March when he finished a very close second on the Malcolm Wilson Rally in the Fuchs Titan, Rapid Solicitors and Kick Energy-backed Frank Bird Poultry Ford Focus WRC07 whilst dipping his toe in the MSA Asphalt Rally Championship at the beginning of the season also.
Since then, the MotoGP and BSB team boss has been concentrating on his bike racing teams which culminated in Shane 'Shakey' Byrne winning the British Superbike Championship and Kawasaki team-mate Keith Farmer winning the Superstock 1000 crown. In MotoGP, fellow Cumbrian James Ellison took the PBM UK Aprilia to fourth in the CRT class, famously winning at the French Grand Prix at Le Mans.
'Birdy' did take time out of his hectic schedule in June to compete in SOL Rally Barbados where he took a fantastic victory after a number of years trying so is looking forward to returning to action on the event he won in 2009, along with regular Scottish co-driver Kirsty Riddick.
Paul Bird: "It's been a very busy season what with running my two bike racing teams and I've not really had that much time to do as much rallying as I would have liked. We've sorted most of the stuff out for next season now so it's time for me to have a bit of a play and I'm really looking forward to it. Having not driven on gravel for nine months means I may be a bit rusty and there is a top quality entry so I'll give it my best shot and see where we end up. I've been training really hard over this past couple of months and have lost over two stones in weight so I can't use lack of fitness as an excuse!"
The rally gets underway from Coniston at 10.00 on Saturday 1st December with stages in the Grizedale complex at 10.19, 10.40, 13.56 and 14.05 before the finish in Coniston at 14.25. Further information is available at www.grizedalestages.co.uk
