Round four of the 2008 Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally Championship will pit crews against some classic forest stages on the Mid Wales Historic Stages next weekend.
The Newtown-based event will cover stages in the Hafren, Sweet Lamb and Myherin region, so the BHRC crews will be competing over the stages that will form the opening day of Wales Rally GB in December.
Category 1
The oldest cars in category one (pre '68) will lead the field away and a double victory on the Robin Hood and Pirelli rallies was the perfect start to the year for Patrick Watts and Elgan Davies in their Sunbeam Tiger.
However, they retired from the most recent round, the Severn Valley Stages, after sliding off the road and so they will be eager to get their title bid firmly back on track.
Heading the Porsche challenge will be Dessie Nutt and Geraldine McBride in their familiar Porsche 911, with other 911s for Phil and Barbara Smith and Steve Troman/Kevin Devine.
But the Porsches will be pressed hard by the fastest of the Lotus Cortinas, notably those of Bob Bean/Malcolm Smithson and Neil Calvert/Arlene Cookson. Chasing the Cortinas in class B4 will be the mighty Volvo Amazon of Graham Waite/Mike Reynolds.
Class B2 will again be a straight fight between the Mini Cooper S of defending class champions Terry Cree/Richard Shores and the MG Midget of James Stait/Gill Cotton, and it is Stait/Cotton who are firmly in contention for the overall title after the opening three rounds.
Two Hillman Imp variants contest class B1, including round one and three winners Gary and Jane Edington (Singer Chamois) and round two winners Geoff Taylor/Steve Greenhill (Imp Sport).
Category 2
Category two will be a battle between the Porsches and Ford Escorts Mk1s, although the ever-improving Lancia Stratos of Steve Perez will be a welcome addition to the field and could be a major contender. Set to head the Porsche contingent is the 911RS of Steven Smith and John Nichols, which has now won twice from three events.
