BINGLEY'S Sam Bilham goes into the new rally season full of confidence after winning the 2017 Fiesta ST Trophy and he is looking to build on that in a new machine this weekend in Wales.

He will be making his first appearance in a Vauxhall ADAM Cup car at the opening round of the Rally 2 Championship on Saturday at the Rally North Wales event.

It will be Bilham’s first taste of action since taking the Fiesta ST Trophy title last season, which he won emphatically with two rounds to spare after taking multiple class and category wins.

That triumph caused sponsors to take notice and Bilham received the economic boost that his career needed when leading motorsport tyre manufacturer DMACK and engineering firm Mechanical Solutions both offered him financial backing.

The latter's owner, Nigel Lewis, has offered Bilham the use of the ADAM and it will allow him to compete in selected Rally 2 events.

The car will offer a new driving experience for the Bingley youngster and he is excited by the prospect of competing in it on world-class stages.

“We had a small test a few weeks ago but it was simply designed to allow me to get used to the car and the sequential gearbox which is certainly a very new experience for me," Bilham said.

“I think I will learn a lot more in the first few miles of the legendary Dyfi stage though and whilst I’m a little apprehensive, I’m really buzzing to get going.

"The car handles really well and turns in and stops perfectly. It’s a lot closer to an R2 car which is where I want to progress into so this gives me the perfect opportunity to learn my craft without too much pressure.”

Rally North Wales offers over 42 miles of stages in the Dyfi and Gartheiniog Forest complex and is the first event to utilise the new Rally2WD format.

Competitors in the two-wheel drive section of the event will leave Dolgellau early on Saturday before returning to the town for the rally finish at around lunchtime later that day.