Rallying legend Paddy Hopkirk will be celebrated in the West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship with the award of a major new trophy for the winner of Category 1 at the end of each season.It was 50 years ago today (17 January) that Hopkirk started the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally in his works Mini Cooper registered ’33 EJB’. He went on to score a landmark victory on the event with a drive that captured the nation’s imagination and instantly make himself a household name. Now, the biggest championship for historic rally cars in Britain will honour that achievement with the Paddy Hopkirk Trophy.The overall winner of the Walker Diecastings-supported Category 1, for cars from up to 1968, will win this very special award and it is hoped that Hopkirk will be on hand at the end of season awards evening to present the trophy.Fittingly, Mini Coopers are due to feature prominently in the 2014 championship with up to 10 cars expected to contest the new Aldon Automotive Mini and Imp Cup. This major new award for the category further underlines the championship’s commitment to Category 1 and that commitment extends to the TV coverage, which will include a dedicated Category 1 report from each of the seven rounds.With the Category 1 cars running first on the road on all rounds of the WWRS R.A.C. Rally Championship, the series is already enjoying unprecedented support from the Category 1 fraternity. More than 12 Category 1 cars are due to contest the opening R.A.C, round, the Red Kite Stages (Sunday 2 February). This will be the biggest Category 1 entry on any gravel event for several years.The 2014 WWRS R.A.C. Rally Championship starts on the Red Kite Stages on Sunday 2 February and more details are available from www.redkitestages.co.ukThe West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship is the only championship that runs historics first on the road on all events.