With the first round of the all new Pirelli British Rally Championship now completed, attention turns to the next chapter in the season long story - the International Rally of Wales based in Wrexham.
Drawing its entries from across the UK and Europe, the highly popular Rally takes place on May 18-19, starting from Wrexham Town Centre, before the crews take on the demanding forest stages in Clocaenog, Sweet Lamb, Hafren and Myherin on the Saturday evening and Sunday.
The classic Welsh forest stages will be a stern test for the cream of UK rallying talent, as works entries from the likes of Ford, Peugeot and MG Rover will battle it out to be the Rally winner. Entries have already been received from the likes of Jonny Milner (Toyota), Steve Petch (Hyundai), and rising junior stars such as Guy Wilks, Kris Meeke (both Ford), and Touring Car ace James Thompson, who is attempting his first year of rallying in a Peugeot 106 Maxi Kit Car.
Foreign rally stars such as Finnish ace Tapio Laukkanen and Swede Johan Kressner bring their respective Subaru's, whilst popular Carno resident Mark Higgins will be the rally favourite in his Ford Focus WRC, the same car as driven by World Rally star
Colin McRae, a former winner of the event. With Mitsubishi also likely to field a car for one of their latest young Japanese stars, the entry list looks set to be full of quality cars and drivers.
Based in the North Wales border town of Wrexham, the Rally will also attract many thousands of spectators to both Mid and North Wales, providing a welcome booster for the Summer tourist trade in the area. Rally Organiser Jim Jones, of Caernarvon and Anglesey Motor Club Ltd, the event organisers, was looking forward to the rally running after some difficult decision making of late.
