A RALLY route "reset" could pay dividends for local driver Sam Bilham, who admits he "still has a lot to learn."

The 22-year-old, of Bingley, is enjoying his maiden season in a four-wheel-drive front running machine and has his third outing in the BTRDA Rally Series this weekend.

Bilham will jump behind the wheel of his Ford Fiesta R5 for the Rallynuts Stages Rally which has had a shake up this year that could suit those who are less experienced.

The rally offers over 44 stage miles of classic forest test and, in a new route, the event consists of stages which have not been used since the 1990s.

Bilham said: "Having stages that no-one really knows that well means it’s almost a reset switch.

"You will really get a good idea on the pace required then, as experience doesn’t count for as much as it does when say, you contest a stage like Sweet Lamb where everyone has driven around so many times."

The youngster heads to Builth Wells in the heart of Wales for round three on the back of an upturn in fortunes, after a shaky start to the campaign.

An off-road excursion saw Bilham retire from the Cambrian Rally in his February debut, but last month at the Malcolm Wilson Stages he battled up the leaderboard to secure a career-best sixth place in Cumbria.

Read more about that here...

Bilham's confidence is building heading into this third round, but he's well aware it will take time and guidance from those around him to get the most out of the Fiesta.

He said: "It’s certainly been a huge leap for me this season, but I like to think that I've grabbed it with both hands

"It’s a real honour to be driving the Greenlight and Swift Group backed Fiesta and I realise it’s a huge privilege, so I’m very conscious of making sure that I can repay that trust in me this season.

"But I still have a lot to learn about the car and myself to a degree so I'm still taking it rally by rally.

"It's great to be able to call on the team around me for advice and they certainly help me push forward.

"Being able to work with British Champion Matt Edwards is very valuable to get the best approach with the car and Guy Smith also offers his experiences of the R5 when he can.

"It’s also great to be able to work on the set up with Andy Townend and everyone is very eager to help me this season.

Bilham added: "I'm really looking forward to this one, probably more so than any so far this season, but my aims are realistic and I'm hoping to capitalise on last month’s result in Cumbria."