A capacity 150 cars will line up in Jedburgh next weekend ready to take part in one of the Border region's main sporting events, the Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally.
Furthermore with a world-class entry assembled, including British, National and Scottish champions, as well as some of Britain's most promising talent, it really is a mouth-watering prospect.
The entry is headed by triple British champion Mark Higgins, who along with co-driver Rory Kennedy, is in action in the latest Group N MG S2000 Sport and the PWRC specification car is expected to attract a lot of interest.
Fresh from victory on Rallye Sunseeker, Pirelli MSA Championship leader Marcus Dodd travels up from his Dorset home hoping to repeat his victory of two years ago on the event when he and co-driver Andrew Bargery took a dramatic victory in the prevalent snow and ice in their Hyundai Accent WRC. However, Dodd rolled out of last year's event when leading with just a couple of stages to go.
Chasing Dodd down for ANCRO honours will be the radical Peugeot Cosworth of Midlander Andrew Burton/Shelley Rogerson, who are planning a full campaign this season and they will be up against the Subaru WRCs of Mancunian Jon Ingram/Ian Allsop and Welshman Julian Reynolds/Pat Walsh, whereas Ulstermen Stephen Moore/Tony McHugh will be a major contender in their ex-Henning Solberg Ford Focus WRC.
The major protagonists in the County Saab MSA Scottish Rally Championship will also be battling it out in round two over the infamous Kielder stages with series leader Jimmy Girvan (Subaru) squaring off against former double champion Barry Johnson, who makes his debut in the ex-Andreas Mikkelsen Ford Focus WRC, and the DAM of Andy Horne, amongst a string of other leading Scottish drivers - including Jim Carty (Subaru), Mike Faulkner (Mitsubishi) and William Bonniwell (Subaru).
