World Rally star Wilson promotes motor sport to Cardiff students
After the pre-rally Shakedown for the final round in this season's FIA
World Rally Championship in Wales, Matthew Wilson took some time out to
show local school kids around the Ford Focus RS WRC car which he will be
racing on behalf of Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team to complete this
year's series.
Matthew has had a successful season this year with Stobart; he is
already assured of his best ever points total for a WRC season, while
his team mate Henning Solberg needs to earn five points to equal his
best ever finish.
Back on home turf Matthew is hoping to put on a spectacular performance
for fans and spectators, but has also teamed up with the Motor Sport
Association's Go Motorsport campaign to encourage people to get involved
in the world of motor sport.
Following the recent success of Britain's Lewis Hamilton and Jenson
Button in the Formula One World Championship Go Motorsport has worked
to debunk the myth that competing in motor sport is beyond the reach
of most people, and aims to increase the numbers of competitors and
marshals every year.
A particular emphasis has been placed on engaging schools in motor
sport. This year the MSA were represented at the School Sport's
Partnership Conference and Exhibition for the very first time to promote
its Go Motorsport school visits programme as well as the British Schools
Karting Championship.
Matthew Wilson was behind the wheel from a young age. He won the 2002
T-Cars Championship -- open exclusively to kids between 14 and 17 --
and became the youngest ever winner of a British Rally Championship
event back in 2005, aged just 18. Now 22, and soon to have four WRC
seasons under his belt, he has taken the opportunity to team up with
Go Motorsport and help the kids of Fitzalan High School in Cardiff to
follow in his tracks.
Fitzalan High has an impressive motor sporting record itself, with
their 'Team Dash' winning this season's F1 in Schools Welsh Regional
Competition and becoming National Rookie champions. Most recently the
team competed at the World Final; congratulations are due to team
members Daniel Hooper, Sam Higgett, Jack Smith, Leslie Flynn, Stuart
Winterbottom and Tom Nolloth who all met Matthew today.
Fitzalan High's 'Team Dash' therefore had plenty to talk about with
Matthew as he showed them around his state of the art Ford Focus RS
WRC car and discussed what it's like to compete in the World Rally
Championship; some of them aspire to a career in motor sport themselves.
Khalid Rahmani, the Design and Technology teacher at Fitzalan High
who accompanied 'Team Dash' to the WRC service area, is also a fan of
rally racing. He said: "I would definitely encourage all schools to
get involved. We've been very successful this year, the boys won the
regionals and got to the World Final: one of thirty teams. They were
the youngest team there and there were 3 million entrants into the
competition so that was fantastic. Motor sport is a great inspiration
for kids."
-credit: stobart
