Double podium success for FX Motor Sports!

The FX Motor Sports squad took two podium finishes on their British championship debut on the Pirelli International Rally in Carlisle today.

FX fielded three cars in the event: David Higgins and Ieuan Thomas, and Hugh Evans and Iestyn Williams drove sister Subaru Impreza N14s under the TQ.com team banner, while Nick Rowland and Tim Sturla competed in an FX-run Suzuki Swift in the new Swift Sport Cup. David finished third overall in the BRC points, while Nick took second place in the Swift series despite having to use superally rules after enduring problems on the opening Friday night stages.

“It’s a great start to the year for the team,” said David. “Everyone worked really well together and we’ve picked up good points in both the drivers and teams championships. Guy [Wilks] leads the championship with Juho [Hanninen] second in front of us, but Juho only plans to compete on Rally GB now so he won’t have many more points scoring opportunities. Nick’s taken great points too, and it’s just a shame Hugh had an off or he would have had a stronger result. He had a great rally otherwise.”

As FX’s Sporting Director, it had been a hectic run-up to the event for David as he and the team completed work on setting up their new workshops at the Higgins family Forest Experience Rally School in Carno, Wales, took delivery of the three cars and tested.

“It was a lot of hard work,” admitted David. “Things came together quite late, but we got all three cars ready on time including a chance to test and take part in the pre-event shakedown. It was important to get on the podium, because in the BRC you’ve got to be on the podium on every rally to have a chance of the title. We learned a lot more about the cars on the event too, so we can’t wait for the next round, the Jim Clark Rally.”

With the Jim Clark Rally being an asphalt event, the FX squad will now set to switching their three cars to asphalt spec in preparation for a pre-rally test session.

But before the Jim Clark, David will also travel to the RBS International Manx Rally where he will run a Ford Escort Mk2 on the event for his father Tony and mother Christina.

Shakedown starts the season

All three cars run by FX Motor Sports have completed the shakedown stage of the Pirelli International Rally ahead of kick off in the centre of Carlisle tomorrow evening.

The shakedown took place in the southern part of Kielder forest called Shepherdshield which has been used by the rally in the past. David Higgins gave a passenger ride to local ITV sports presenter Graham Davies on the shakedown, so keep an eye out for the TQ.com squad on TV.

David and Ieuan Thomas head up the TQ.com team in their Subaru Impreza N14, seeded at number four. Their TQ.com team mates Hugh Evans and Iestyn Williams are running at number 19 in the sister Impreza. FX is also running teenager Nick Rowland, co-driven by Tim Sturla, in the new Suzuki Swift Cup, seeded at number 46.

David's Subaru breaks cover

These are the first pictures of TQ.com driver David Higgins testing the team’s new Subaru Impreza N14 ahead of this year’s British Rally Championship.

The BRC kicks off with the Pirelli International Rally this weekend. Ahead of the fight, David has completed 70 miles of testing at the Higgins Forest Experience Rally School in Carno, Wales.

“Although the conditions weren’t ideal because of snow, we had a good run and learned a lot about the car,” said David. “It’s a lot different to the previous Subaru. It feels a bit more like a Mitsubishi in terms of set up, but that is a benefit to us because we compete in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9 in the Chinese Rally Championship, and we won every round of it last year.”

The TQ.com team’s cars are being run by the newly formed FX Motor Sports this year. The impressive new company is run from new workshops at the rally school. David is FX’s Sporting Director, while his BRC team mate and sponsor Hugh Evans is FX Team Principal. The team will field two cars in the main BRC line-up again, as TQ boss Hugh continues to compete alongside David.

“We have the ability to do everything here,” said David from the workshop. “And it’s all done under our control, with a team of people we have put together ourselves who we really trust - that makes a big difference.

“My car’s now been wrapped with the livery we’ll use this year, and Hugh’s will be wrapped this week. Then ahead of the rally we’ve got a day’s testing for Hugh, and a day practicing changing parts for the FX team.”

David will continue to be co-driven by Ieuan Thomas again this year, while Hugh continues to be navigated by Iestyn Williams as they embark on their second year in the championship.

This year the BRC is hosting shakedown sessions ahead of each round. David will take part in that ahead of the rally start in the centre of Carlisle on Friday night.

Photos: Jon Mills