FARNHAM Royal rally driver Sam Stefan produced a brilliant display to seal victory at Fulbeck.

The talented motorist travelled to the track – based near Nottingham – on the back of a top five finish in his last outing in Wales, and was again in supreme form along with co driver Stuart Andrews.

The pair, who represent the Major Motorsport team, faced tricky conditions on the first day at the concrete airfield, with the track predominantly made up of gravel.

The first stage proved to be a real test as the car was dancing all around the track, and Stefan, not being used to driving in such tricky conditions, struggled but still managed to put in a decent performance.  The team placed well after that and beat some of the bigger engine cars, which was a great encouragement for the pairing.

In their class they placed second – only 10 seconds off the top spot. The pair took control in the second stage, knocking a huge amount of time off their first run.

This really set the standard for the day for the 1 litre class and the pair shot into the lead with only five seconds separating first and second.

The pair had a clean run with many of the bigger cars starting to drop out early, and by the end of the second stage, 11 cars had already retired.

 With the rally proving to be a marathon rather than a sprint, the third and fourth stages powered Stefan into a commanding lead of more than two minutes in his class.  In the next four stages Stefan dominated and it showed in the overall standings raising him to 35th – in the car with the smallest engine – as his sharp driving skills got him round the track without sliding.  The last two stages were just a formality for the pair to seal victory in their criteria.

With such a commanding lead, the pair just had to get the car round the course without damaging it, although this proved to be harder than first thought with the car picking up a slow puncture on the rocky and loose roads, with pot holes everywhere.

The drivers had to be careful not to hit them but the puncture was picked up in the garage and the tyre was changed.  With the tenth stage finished and with a lead of five minutes from the second stage, Stefan picked up the win in his class and had dominated from the early stages.

He said: “It was a great day for myself, Stuart and for the team to get a class win in such tricky conditions. With so many teams having to drop out I was pleased to get the car round in one piece and to take the trophy home at the end of the day was great.” **PICK up a copy of the Observer, out every Friday, for all the latest sports news and action** **FOLLOW the Observer on Twitter at @Observer_sports**