In service Stuart decided to change to different compound tyres to try and combat the under steer issue. This seems to work as Stuart flew round the stage, setting a faster time than in stage one. Stage three and the car continued to handle well causing Stuart to begin to climb through the pack. Back in service though the service crew noticed that the rear brake disc had snapped! Thankfully, due to their thorough after stage service and keen eyes, the service crew were able to repair the damage in time for stage four. Stuart continued to drive well throughout stage four, with the car feeling perfect.

Stage five began well with Stuart getting off to a really quick start when unfortunately he caught the near side front of the car on some tyres coming out of a chicane altering then handling. As a result he took the second half of the stage more cautiously, trying not to lose too much time, but to get the car back for close examination in servicing. Once in service the service crew worked hard fixing the left hand hub and bottom arm just in time for stage six. Out for stage six and the repairs had paid off with Stuart back on form performing well. However, once in service an inspection found another brake disc had sheared off. Yet more work for the service crew!

Stage seven and eight the car was handling well and Stuart was pulling off his quickest times off the day, moving even higher up the pack. Stage nine began on the same high note with both driver and car performing well until all of a sudden the oil pressure started to rise and the car started filling with smoke. Stuart took the decision to continue the stage and didn't end up losing too much time. He arrived back in service slightly bleary eyed to find the dipstick had broken and oil was splashing all over the engine bay. This was soon cleaned up and everything was checked ready for the final stage. Everything was on form for stage ten and Stuart pushed hard for a well earned 6th in class and 19th overall.

Stuart would like to thank Piaa UK for their continuing support, as well as his other sponsors: South West Karting, West End precision, Psycho Designs, Avon Independence and Avon and Somerset portable appliance testing. Stuart would also like to thank his co-driver Michael Hague and his service crew for their hard work and support during the Rally.

In service after the stage Stuart decided to lower the tyre pressures, which set him up well for a clean fast run in stage three and a fast time. The car was performing equally well during stage four until three quarters of a way into the stage Stuart suffered a puncture. He continued to the end of the stage with a flat tyre trying not to lose too much time. However, once back in service the service crew found the strain had been too much for the bottom arm and they had to replace it.

Stage five fell victim to yet another accident, causing it to be cancelled. Stuart began stage six lying twentieth overall, with the car going well he was looking on top form until, as he approached a ninety degree left turn, the whole car slid sideways into a kerb causing serious damage to the suspension on the of side front and rear corners making it impossible to carry on and complete the final stages.

Stuart would like to thank Piaa UK for their continuing support, as well as his other sponsors: South West Karting, West End precision, Psycho Designs, Avon Independence and Avon and Somerset portable appliance testing. Stuart would also like to thank his co-driver Michael Hague and his service crew for their hard work and support during the Rally.

Despite this Stuart was determined to do well. He began stage one well, with the car performing fine; he was just off the pace due to the long straights. Stuart was now praying for rain to slow some of the faster cars down and allow him to pull some time back. The car was checked at the end of the stage and all was fine until three minutes before stage two when one of the service crew went to tort the wheel up and the thread stripped on the wheel stud. Disaster! There was literally seconds to go until stage two and Stuart was forced to take the car out with a slight temporary repair and take it easy.

Despite the temporary repair, luck was not in Stuart's favour as during stage two the wheel began to feel loose and suddenly sheared off, forcing Stuart to take a maximum time for the stage. In service the crew found the fault was in the hub assembly, so this was changed, new stubs were fitted and all was ready to go again. In stage three all began to get back on track and the car was going fine but the tyres had now started to go off. In service it had now started to drizzle so a decision was made to change the tyres to a softer compound on the front.

Stage four and the rain began to get heavier meaning Stuart was able to pull some time back on some of the other drivers. However during stage five the rain got horrendous and Stuart was at a disadvantage not having a full set of wet tyres due to budgetary constraints. In service at the end of the stage Stuart was concerned with running the car without a full set of wets so was forced to purchase some, which he is not figuring how to pay for!

With his new wets on Stuart was now flying through stage six, coming in 30 seconds faster than the previous stage. The only necessary change at the end of the stage was to alter the suspension settings to allow better handling with the new tyres. This turned out to be a good decision as Stuart was even faster in the seventh stage and got the fastest time of any car for that stage. Stage eight was as good as stage seven and Stuart finished on a high.

Despite losing his wheel during teh second stage Stuart managed to finish 41st overall and 15th in class. This now leaves him standing an impressive 3rd overall in the ASWMC championship in his debut season.

Stuart would like to thank Piaa UK for their continuing support, as well as his other sponsors; South West Karting, West End precision, Psycho Designs, Avon Independence and Avon and Somerset portable appliance testing. Stuart would also like to thank his co-driver Michael Hague and his service crew for their hard work and support during the Rally.

Stage one began well but was dampened when a turn was missed, fortunately not costing Stuart too much time as he quickly corrected himself. With the car performing so well Stuart decided not to change anything for stage two. This decision paid off as Stuart had a flying stage with the car and the new Toyo tires performing to perfection.

However Stuart's fortune did not last long as during the third stage the car began to sound like the exhaust was blowing out. Back in the pit area the service crew discovered the exhaust manifold was cracked. Not having their own welding equipment the service crew managed to borrow some and repair the damage. Stage four seemed like all was well again until a knocking noise was heard in the front of the car towards the end of the stage. Luckily Stuart's service crew recognised that the driver side ball joint had gone and was damaging the hub.

After a quick repair Stuart was ready for stage five. He was back on the pace this stage with the car going quicker and quicker. The only problem Stuart ran into in this stage was a straw bale, though not causing any damage or losing too much time. Stages six, seven and eight were even better with the car and Stuart performing better and better, coming in with very impressive times.

Stuart was still performing fantastically during stage nine until he clipped a cone which got caught under the front wheel. In service at the end of the stage the service crew found the calliper was damaged, causing there to be no front breaks on the passenger side. Unfortunately there was not enough time of the right equipment to sort this out and Stuart had to compete in the last stage with the only brakes being the hand brake, being operated by co-driver Michael.

Despite finishing with no brakes and his earlier technical problems Stuart managed to finish an extraordinary 16th overall and 5th in class. This now leaves him standing an impressive 4th overall in the CMSG championship in his debut season.

Stuart would like to thank Piaa UK for their continuing support, as well as his other sponsors; South West Karting, West End precision, Psycho Designs, Avon Independence and Avon and Somerset portable appliance testing. Stuart would also like to thank his co-driver Michael Hague and his service crew for their hard work and support during the Rally.

Stuart had chosen to start the rally on Toyo tyres, which allowed him to make a good start for stage one, although with the surface being damp he did not want to push the car too hard and make any foolish errors. The damp dried for stage two, allowing Stuart to push harder and perform better. With the track being even drier for stage three Stuart was able to show his driving experience and gain some valuable time on his fellow competitors, even when being held up by other cars.

Feeling that the car was capable of more, back in the service area Stuart directed his crew to make some minor adjustments to the car. This seemed to work for stage four as Stuart going faster still, moving swiftly through the pack. Stage five was similar, with Stuart going faster still.

For stage six the service crew were directed to make more alterations, including putting on Hancook tyres, to suit the increasingly warming weather. This worked beautifully as Stuart was on the pace again for stages six and seven.

Disaster struck in stage eight when the car suffered from fuel starvation and even though Stuart got it going again was forced to take the maximum time. Despite his problems in the final stage Stuart finished the rally an impressive 34th out of 88 cars and 9th in class. This means he now stands an exceptional 3rd in class in the CMSG championship!

Stuart would like to thank Piaa UK for their continuing support, as well as his other sponsors; South West Karting, West End precision, Psycho Designs, Avon Independence and Avon and Somerset portable appliance testing. Stuart would also like to thank his co-driver Michael Hague and his service crew for their hard work and support during the Rally.

Seeded 25th, Stuart set off on the first of eight stages on a mission with a point to prove. The car was performing well and Stuart was pleased with how things were going until with only half a mile to go his car shut down! Stuart raced to open the bonnet to see if he could locate the fault but to no avail. Frustrated, he turned the key in hope and miraculously the car started. Stuart finished the stage having lost about a minute and a half due to his technical difficulties. Back in the service area Stuart's crew checked the car over to find the cause of the car cutting out but nothing could be located.

During stage two everything was back on track until half way through the demons of the car cutting out came back to strike again! This time Stuart traced the fault to the emergency kill switch, made a temporary track side repair costing him about another minute and a half and continued to cross the finish line. Knowing where the fault was the service crew were now able to change the wiring to the kill switch and get the car ready for the third stage.

Stages three and four came and Stuart's luck had changed for the better. The car was at optimum performance; Stuart was on the pace and even began pulling some time back and moving up the field. Things were getting back on course and Stuart began to smile again. By the end of stage four the rain was lashing down, so the service crew changed the tyres to wets ready for the next stage. However Stuart's luck was not to stay on his side for too long, as in stage five he clipped a pothole causing a puncture in the driver's side front tyre with three quarters of the stage to go. Not wanting to pull out of the stage Stuart continued to compete on a flat tyre and crossed the line, he estimates, after loosing two minutes. Back in the service area the tyres were changed again, this time back to dries as it had now stopped raining.

With the amount of bad luck Stuart had experienced in the first part of the day he realised the day had effectively turned into a test event for him and after discussion with the service crew he decided to spend the rest of the stages experimenting with different set ups on the car. Stages six, seven and eight all went well with no further complications. Stuart's pace was impressive; he was overtaking cars and was driving his fastest yet. Climbing up the field he pressed on like a warrior and eventually completed the event in 5th in class, which considering the technical difficulties he was faced with was outstanding! Back at home Stuart spent a few days checking over his car and tweaking it to ensure it is in perfect condition ready for his next event.

Stuart would like to take this opportunity to thank his sponsors: PIAA UK, South West Karting, West End precision, Psyco Designs, Avon Independence and Avon and Somerset portable appliance testing, as well as to remind everyone that more information about him and his rallying career can be found on his website at www.stuartbliss.com.

Stuart and his co-driver Michael Hague were raring to go come the first stage, having spent over a month out of their seats. Seeded 30th stage one began. With new brakes on the car Stuart knew he had to get use to the feel and take the stage steady. However that turned out not to be his decision as the brakes began to play up part way through the stage by locking up, forcing Stuart to come in with an average time. With not enough time to change the brake pads, which Stuart's service crew had singled out as the problem, he would have to put up with it through stage two. Nonetheless the crew did have time to make a quick change of the tyres so see if they could provide some extra grip through a wet section of the track.

Stage two began and the brake problem continued. In addition the new tyres had now added to Stuart's problems rather than easing them as he found the compound was too hard. Towards the end of the stage things went from bad to worse as another competitor spinning caused Stuart a delay going round him. Another mediocre time and Stuart was not happy. Thankfully enough time prevailed before the third stage for the brake pads to now be changed and the tyres to be changed yet again.

Time for stage three and Stuart was looking forward to making up some time he had lost in the first two. The car felt fantastic and was going incredibly quick until disaster! A mk1 Escort caught on fire in front of him causing Michael to think he was a fire-fighter and dash to help put it out. Unfortunately it meant all those who had started the stage after the Escort could not finish and were given a standard time.

Onto stage four where the brakes were feeling so much better and Stuart was beginning to get back on the pace before his car cut out. Being a trained diagnostic technician he soon got it started again only for it to cut out just before the finish line. This time there was nothing he could do but be towed back to the service area and take maximum time. In the service area the problem was located as being the distributor lead and this was changed.

During stage five Stuart was waiting for the next problem, knowing this was just not his day! Much to his relief there were no problems with the car and everything performed well. Stuart set a magnificent time and was getting back into the competition. However it wasn't to last for long, as during stage six the car cut out on the start line. It was the end of the rally for Stuart, all due to a distributor failure. All he could do was to get home as early as possible to prepare the car for his next rally in only two days time.

Stuart would like to take this opportunity to thank his sponsors: PIAA UK, South West Karting, West End precision, Psyco Designs, Avon Independence and Avon and Somerset portable appliance testing, as well as to remind everyone that more information about him and his rallying career can be found on his website at www.stuartbliss.com.

With Stuart happy with the car's new settings it was time for the first stage of the day. Due to the reputation of the course being one with very little room for error Stuart and Michael decided to take the first stage steady to get use to the circuit and road conditions. The stage went well and Stuart came in at a comfortable time.

Being so happy with the first stage Stuart decided t keep the car settings the same for the second stage. Stuart pushed hard throughout the second stage, with the car performing perfectly and outstanding conditions he was making fantastic time. The third stage Stuart continued on his flying run and moved up to a well earned 2nd in class.

The fourth stage came and Stuart's luck seemed to be continuing as he was again on the pace until disaster struck! Pushing harder than ever Stuart didn't notice the road surface changing from dusty to tarmac. He slid around a corner too wide and clipped a metal fence, causing him to loose the nearside front wheel. Unfortunately it was not possible to repair the wheel on site and Stuart had to pull out of the rally.

Stuart would like to thank Piaa UK for their continuing support, as well as his other sponsors; South West Karting, West End precision, Psycho Designs, Avon Independence and Avon and Somerset portable appliance testing. Stuart would also like to thank his co-driver Michael Hague and his service crew for their hard work and support during the Rally.

The first two stages went well with the only error being Stuart going slightly wide on a corner and skidding over some grass but recovering well. Stage three and Stuart was really beginning to reap the benefits of the Piaa Lightpod as he was storming along. A driver ahead of Stuart bumping up a cattle grid lost him a few seconds waiting for it to be put back into place but not enough to put a dampener on the evening. Stage four, the last of the evening saw Stuart pick up a one minute penalty due to a clerical error causing him to clock in seven seconds early at Main Control one.

With the first day over Stuart and his service crew decided to make some changes to the car to give them a slight lie-in in the morning. Stuart switched the softer brake pads with his harder ones as the next day contained another fourteen stages. Some minor adjustments to the settings were also made to handle the predicted conditions of the following day.

8.00am Saturday 24th and the next stage was under way. Stuart felt happier with his new settings and shone in stage five. Stage six he continued to impress until while hand-braking round a hairpin the car popped out of gear loosing some vital time readjusting. Stuart continued to make up for the lost time in the following three stages, with floorless driving and perfect co-driving navigation.

During stage ten Stuart was pushing hard but failed to find his way past a Subaru, then an error in the pace notes caused him to skid into some rocks. Stuart recovered well and continued to finish the stage minus a rear bumper. Needing to make up some valuable time Stuart altered some of the car's settings between stages, much to his advantage as he was at optimum performance for the next two stages.

Stage thirteen and Stuart was continuing his flying streak until another car on the course caught on fire causing the stage to be cancelled. Stage fourteen was also unable to be run due to the flaming car, so Stuart advised his service crew on some changes to be made during the break, including switching his tyres. The changes paid off during stage fifteen and sixteen with Stuart even catching and overtaking a Nova which started thirty seconds ahead of him!

The final two stages of the rally, numbers seventeen and eighteen again took place in the dark. Stuart continued to push hard, making up fantastic time, aided by the Piaa Lightpod to light up his path. With all stages complete Stuart came in an impressive 14th overall and 4th in class after being seeded 57th. At the end of the rally Stuart said: "I was quite nervous about rallying in the dark for the first time but with the Piaa Lightpod it was just like rallying in the day, I would like to thank Piaa UK for their continuing support".

Stuart would also like to thank his other sponsors for their continuing support; South West Karting, West End precision, Psycho Designs, Avon Independence and Avon and Somerset portable appliance testing; as well as his co-driver Michael Hague and his service crew.

With the shock absorbers changed it was time for stage one. After discussion with the pit crew Stuart decided it would be best if he took stage one easy to get use to the car under such extreme weather conditions, resulting in him coming in at a comfortable ninth in class. Between stages Stuart decided to change the tyre pressures, as the weather was getting implausibly worse. During stage two the car began to make a concerning rattling noise underneath, which much to Stuart's relief turned out to be the heat shield and nothing to worry about. By the end of the stage Stuart progressed to an impressive sixth in class.

Next up was stage three and Stuart seemed cursed. First, the consequences of a co-driving error meant that Stuart took the wrong direction at a split, resulting in him loosing approximately three and a half minutes; then he hydroplaned off the stage and clipped a tree, thankfully not causing any serious damage. To wrap up the stage Stuart lost one of his wing mirrors!

Stages four and five went well with Stuart pushing hard to make up some much needed time. He came in at fifth and fourth in class respectively in each stage and the car seemed to be going from strength to strength. With the rain not easing off and with the addition of gale force winds the car became skittish during stage six. After the stage co-driver Hag excitedly exclaimed, "We were going sideways in a straight line!"

Stage seven was another impressive run by Stuart, still trying to make up the lost time from stage three. This left only one stage, number eight. The track was now more like a lake from the rain which had not stopped all day.

The stage started badly when the engine cut out because of flood water and then a rock caused a puncture in the offside front tyre. With grit and determination Stuart continued to complete the stage with his flat tyre and believed it only cost him a minute and a half.

With all eight stages complete Stuart's overall position was 30th and 11th in class. A position Stuart was disappointed with, but considering the error made during stage three, a well deserved and hard worked one.

Stuart would like to thank his sponsors for their continuing support. PIAA UK, South West Karting, West End precision, Psyco Designs, Avon Independence and Avon and Somerset portable appliance testing.

Stuart would also like to thank his grandmother and Simon Sharpe for the commissioning, designing and building of his website, where more information about Stuart and his rallying success can be found.

Stuart spent the three months prior to the rally building his Peugeot 205 with his co-driver Michael and friends Mark and Ben, exploiting his own profession as a mechanic and Michael's as a car repair worker.

The weather at Brean was perfect for rallying being cold but dry for both Saturday and Sunday. Being a novice Stuart began the rally seeded 75th with an entry of 84 cars.

Rallying started at 9.30 am on the Saturday, giving everyone an extra few winks, as scrutineering was completed on the Friday. The day got off to an unsteady start as Stuart nearly lost control on the first bend! Nevertheless, by the end of stage one Stuart began settling into the car. Michael also appeared to be settling into his role well, having never even sat in a rally car before. His only concern being with the unfortunate wing mirrors due to how tight Stuart was taking the corners.

During stage two Stuart felt the car was going reasonably well with the only exception being brake fade. This was discussed with the service crew and it was decided to modify the front bumper to allow some air into the brakes. This appeared to pay off in stage three as everything was performing well, other than the fact Stuart felt he was losing time on some of the other competitors, something he put down to not having a limited slip, something which he has since acquired.

Sunday began at 9.30 am with stage 7 and with Stuart and Michael finding themselves on the start line dripping water from the radiator. The service crew rushed back to the pit and obtained some radweld. This was used to put in the radiator and seemed like a temporary fix for the problem.

Stuart and Michael continued the rally until Stage eight when disaster struck. A rock that had been flung in the road hit the nearside tyre wall, causing a puncture and slight damage to the exhaust system. Despite this Stuart managed to finish the stage. Back in the pits the service crew replaced the types with some old race tyres from 2005, leading to the handling on the car for stage nine to be dismal. By the end of stage nine the call was for new tyres so Stuart purchased two, much to the exasperation of his mother!

The new tyres led to an increased performance in stage ten with Stuart pulling back more and more time.

After all twelve stages Stuart came in at an impressive 25th overall and 9th in class, also taking the best novice trophy.

Stuart would like to take this opportunity to thank his co driver and service crew.