AFTER their trials and tribulations on the last few rounds of the BTRDA Championship, Mick O'Brien and Sixty and Worcestershire Motor Club member Matt Pearce finally had some success.

Racing O'Brien's Ford Focus WRC 06, the pair scored a creditable fifth place in the recent Red Dragon Rally.

The event, which is run by Port Talbot Motor Club, started in Swansea with the stages based in and around the Walters Arena as used on the Wales Rally GB.

The duo claimed maximum points as the first registered competitors in the BTRDA Gold Star Championship.

Those points moved O'Brien to third overall in the drivers' championship, while Pearce climbed into second spot.

The day was not without problems as the car relies heavily on electronics for most of its major systems.

On the start of stage three, the throttle sensor malfunctioned, immediately moving the throttle to fully open.

Quick thinking by O'Brien saved the engine from overrevving and the crew restarted it just three seconds before they were due to leave the start line.

This stage and the next were completed at full throttle, relying on the brakes to slow down.

This then caused a further problem as the brakes were almost burnt out by the time they got to service.

At service, the sensor problem could not be fixed so the team reverted to an old-fashioned throttle cable. They also had to change a rear brake disc and calliper which had been damaged by the heat.

The car was once again run by WRC Team Ramsport, who were also running car one for 2006 Scottish champion Dave Weston.

Their next event is the Dukeries starting in Mansfield on June 16.

Sixty and Worcestershire Motor Club member Andy Taylor will be competing in the Heart of England Championship round at Wilbaston near Corby this weekend.

Taylor's usual co-driver Kevin Bowcott is unavailable so his place is taken by Pete Dodschun. The pair will be driving Taylor's Escort Mk2 with its Astra 1.6 twin-cam engine.

Dodschun is also from Worcester and has competed in motorsport for a number of years, both as a driver and co-driver. His normal role within Taylor's team is on the management side.