'Thank you' Ford drive for Higgins on Rally GB.

The Ford Martini World Rally team has announced today that Mark Higgins will drive the third official Ford entry on the Rally of Great Britain (23-25 November) - the final round of the 2001 FIA World Rally Championship.

"Mark has worked hard testing and developing the Focus RS WRC rally car for Ford this season," commented Ford Martini team director, Malcolm Wilson. "The Rally GB outing is a gesture of thanks for Mark's patience and diligence during a difficult year for rallying in Britain. He has always gone well on his home event and we are delighted to give him this opportunity to go well again."

Earlier this year Higgins was scheduled to drive the official Ford Focus rally car on each of the seven rounds of the 2001 British Rally Championship. However, the series was ultimately cancelled after problems caused by foot & mouth outbreaks.

The 1997 British Rally Champion, Higgins was voted 'British Rally Driver of the Year' in both 1999 and 2000. The 30-year old Manxsman, now resident in mid-Wales, has an excellent record on Britain's round of the world championship - winning the Formula 2 class in 1999 and 2000, and claiming a best-ever finish of fourth overall in 1996.

"This is fantastic news from Ford and it should be a great way to end a rather frustrating year," enthused Higgins. "With foot & mouth causing the cancellation of the British championship, I've only competed on two rallies this season. Rally GB will be my third outing of 2001 and my first-ever event driving a four-wheel-drive WRC rally car."

For Rally GB, Higgins will be co-driven by Bryan Thomas, the British Champion co-driver of 2000. The vastly experienced, quietly spoken 44-year old from Leominster is no stranger to success with Ford. He was co-driver to Malcolm Wilson in 1994 when the pair took their Escort Cosworth to the British championship crown.