Hot on the heels of his team’s points scoring results last weekend in the 2008 World Superbike Championship in Qatar, Vent Axia VK Honda team owner Paul Bird has another busy weekend planned. Spaniard Gregorio Lavilla left the Losail Circuit with a 13th and 14th place finish to show for his efforts despite some minor problems and he and the rest of the team are bound for Australia where the Phillip Island circuit hosts the next two rounds on Sunday (March 2nd)
But team boss Bird isn’t making the trip ‘Down Under’ as after taking a couple of days off in Dubai, he is returning back home to Penrith in order to contest the Malcolm Wilson Rally in his native Cumbria on Saturday (1st March).
Birdy has won the event three times in the past (2004, 2006 & 2007) and is aiming to make it a record-equalling four victories which is held by Bill Dobie going back 25 years.
The Subaru WRC that he’ll be using, which will be unveiled at the start of the event, has been re-branded in the new team’s corporate colours of red and black with backing from Vent Axia and VK’s new energy drink, Kick
Paul Bird: “We had a tough time in Qatar and we’ll be looking for improvements in Australia but the team knows that we have some work to do. Greg learnt a lot and he’ll hopefully do well at Phillip Island and it’s a good omen me not going to a race, when that happened last year, they won! I’m really looking forward to driving the car again as apart from a couple of miles before a problem struck last time out, I’ve not driven in anger since early October. I love the Malcolm Wilson Rally and the possibility of a hat-trick and equalling Bill’s record meant I decided to contest the rally instead of spending two days on a plane. A fourth win for me on Saturday and a pair of decent top ten placings on Sunday will be a perfect weekend for us.”
