PHIL Scholes is hoping to kick-start his rally career with a new car and a new championship.

For the 21-year-old from Blackburn has sold his familiar Peugeot 205GTi and bought a Ford Fiesta ST.

And Scholes, a front runner in this year’s Peugeot Challenge, will debut the new machine on this weekend’s Trackrod Rally in Yorkshire.

“I felt I’d gone as far as I could with the Peugeot, and I needed to make the change,” he explained.

“They are getting very long in the tooth now, and while the Challenge is very popular, I looked very hard at the Fiesta Sporting Trophy and felt that was the route I needed to go.

“The cars are much more expensive to buy and run, but the series has the benefit of backing from Ford and M-Sport, who run their World Rally Championship campaign, which makes it very high-profile.”

After scouring the country for a suitable car, Phil and his dad Rob found one built by rally legend Gwyndaf Evans for his son Elfyn, the newly-crowned Fiesta Sporting Trophy champion.

“The car has all the right bits on it and is ready to go. All I need is to get some practice in,” added Phil.

Scholes has also secured a deal with FX Motorsport to look after the car.

The Whalley-based company, run by Andrew and Charlie Potts, will help prepare the car before each rally and provide on-event support.

“Having FX Motorsport on board will take some of the pressure off me, and I’m grateful for their help,” he said.

“I’ve got a late entry in this weekend’s Trackrod Rally, which is the the perfect way to get some miles under my belt.

“The plan is to contest next year’s Fiesta Sporting Challenge, which, if it follows 2010, will be seven rounds as part of the British Rally Champion-ship.

“That’s the sort of level I want to be competing at, but it all comes at a price. What I really need now is sponsorship for next year to help achieve my ambition.”

Anyone interested in sponsoring Phil Scholes can contact him by email at Phil16@hotmail.co.uk.

l The North-East’s premier gravel rally returns its base to the Yorkshire coast for the first time in two decades when Scarborough hosts the final round of the Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship this weekend.

Top drivers, mechanics and rally fans from all four corners of the British Isles and beyond will converge on the historic seaside resort for the Trackrod Rally Yorkshire.

The ideal places to view the spectacular action are the Dalby Forest stages, named Housedale (all day from 8.26am) and Givendale (from 8.54am), both of which are run twice.