As his riders are lining up on the grid for the opening round of the World Superbike Championship, team owner Paul Bird hopes to have already sampled the winner's champagne himself.
The Penrith driver won't be making the trip to Australia with his team; instead he'll be contesting the opening round of the 2009 Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship which gets underway with Rallye Sunseeker in Bournemouth on Friday evening (February 27th).
Driving his Subaru WRC with Northallerton's Ian Windress as co-driver, the pair are hoping to reclaim the title they last won in 2005 and have their sights firmly set on winning the rally.
Traditionally fastest on Friday night's town centre and seafront stages, Bird will have to see off some of the UK's top drivers in the forests around Ringwood and Wareham on Saturday if he's to pull off his inaugural win on the event.
One of the main threats to Bird will be his friend and sponsor, Steve Perez of Kick Energy, who has just taken delivery of a latest version Ford Focus WRC and the pair's traditional rivalry will be in evidence with once again, the loser having to pay for the other team's post rally party so there's much more than pride and honour at stake!
"I've been away from the sport for a couple of years as we strove to make our Superbike team more competitive and now we are doing that, I can spend a bit more time having a play in my car. Steve's gone out and bought himself a new car to try and beat me but he's going to have to go some to match my ageing Subaru! I'll be in touch with the boys in Australia throughout the weekend and I've told them that if the boss can bring the champagne home, I'm expecting them to also!"

   

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