RISING motorsport star Aaron McClure hopes to build on last year’s NGK Spark Plugs BRC Challenge success as he moves into a Ford Fiesta R2 for the 2014 season.

The Next Big Step award winner has achieved some notable results since his inaugural season in the Formula 1000 Junior series back in 2009.

And after a year in the competitive British Rally Championship feeder series, the Flookburgh youngster is keen to further his career with the acquisition of the ex-John MacCrone machine.

Having won the FiestaSport Challenge and secured a podium position in the RC4 class with his Fiesta ST in 2013, the 19-year-old is now keen to step up to the highly competitive R2 class.

“We were always looking to make the next rung on the ladder this year and the R2 will give us the opportunity to progress even further,” he said.

“It’s left-hand drive which is totally new to me, but I realise most of the problems you need to overcome with the transition to that side of the car are in your head.

“I don’t anticipate it being too much of an issue. I’ve had one test so far on gravel and I managed to build my pace throughout the day to the point where I was really comfortable with how the car felt.

“It will take a bit of getting used to, but it’s a fantastic car and I haven’t stopped smiling since we collected it.”

McClure will now embark on a testing programme over the coming months before deciding what events and championships to tackle going forward.

“It seems R2 is the class to get noticed in and there are many options available for the Fiesta across Great Britain and Europe, it’s an ultra competitive car,” he added.

“We will sit down and decide which direction to take over the next few weeks but there is a fantastic opportunity ahead of us.

“It’s certainly exciting and I could only dream of this prospect back in 2009”.