BINGLEY rally star Sam Bilham admits that winning the hotly-contested MSA English Rally Championship this weekend will be a “fantastic achievement.”

Having taken the runner-up spot in the ultra-competitive Fiesta ST Trophy this season, the 19-year-old will return to the driver’s seat for the final time this year as he heads to the MEM Malton Forest Rally on Sunday to fight for the prestigious title.

The event takes place within the Dalby Forest complex, the scene of Bilham’s inaugural Fiesta ST Trophy victory just a few weeks ago at the Trackrod Rally.

Bilham said: “Taking my first series win this season at the Trackrod was a fantastic experience especially as it’s my home event.

“While that win didn’t net me the Fiesta Trophy title, it enabled me to climb to the top of the MSA English Rally Championship leaderboard.

"Thanks to my 100 per cent finishing record this year, the points have been really mounting up and I am now in a really strong position to clinch the title this weekend which would be a fantastic achievement.”

The Reis Motorsport Insurance supported ace will see co-driver James Whitaker returning to the passenger seat in their Fiesta ST for this weekend’s decider.

They will start the event leading the English Championship, but a slender three-point advantage over his nearest rival means the title will be a close fought affair.

Bilham added: “It’s a really close run thing at the top of the standings and I need to have a clean run to be in with a chance of taking the points needed to bag the title.

“I’m pleased with the way my speed has increased this year as I continue to learn left-hand drive in the Fiesta which was new at the beginning of the season.

"It’s now time to put all that experience into practice because I don’t want to be runner-up again in 2016.”

The MEM Malton Forest Rally offers around 40 miles of competitive action across six stages in the Staindale and Langdale forests within in the Dalby complex.

Bilham is supported by Reis Motorsport Insurance, Mechanical Solutions, Pertemps Recruitment, The Next Big Step, Gareth Hooper Motorsport Services, Calvert Construction and The Garage at Stanley Mills. For more information on his rallying career, visit www.sambilham.co.uk