Cumbria driver and last year's winner Willie Stobart along with Boyzone star Shane Lynch head the entry list for Sunday's Penrith-based Stobart Rail Pendragon Stages Rally.
Stobart will be co-driven as a one-off by popstar Lynch and they lead the field in their Ford Focus WRC followed by Cumbrian driver Dougi Hall and Richard Cleasby in their Mitsubishi Evo 9.
The 65-mile tarmac event, that uses stages in Lowther Park and on the Warcop Army ranges, boasts a strong entry list with plenty of local crews and a maximum 115 cars will start.
Kirkby Lonsdale Motor Club crew Ian Joel and Graeme Wood will start at number three in their Ford Escort Cosworth followed by Tyneside duo Andy Fenwick and Lee Tindall in their Skoda Octavia WRC and the Metro 6R4 of John Stone and Lee Carter.
The course cars will include the ex-Guy Fréquelin Rothmans Opel Manta 400, driven by owner Gary Gee with co-driver Ian Grindrod and International Fiesta Sporting Trophy champion and WRC driver Barry Clark with co-driver Jamie Foster in a Mitsubishi Evo 9.
The rally is headed by a new sponsor livery this year in the form of Stobart Rail following the rebranding of WA Developments.
Whilst spectators will not be allowed into the Lowther Park stage for safety reasons due to the wet weather conditions, the popular ramp will once again be held in Penrith town centre following its debut success last year.
“We're very disappointed that we've had to make the decision regarding no spectator access to Lowther Park,” said clerk of the course, Tim Foster. “This now means that with the other venue at Warcop being a secure MOD property that we now have nowhere for spectators to watch the action competitively, but I'm sure everyone will understand that it's in the safety interests of spectators and those involved with the rally. The public are very welcome to the ramp in Penrith town centre.”
![2007 Pendragon Stages Rally winners Willie Stobart / Andy Richardson [Pic credit: Ian Hardy - www.ianhardy.net]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/367996.jpg)
