With under a week to go to the second round of the Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship, competitors on the Bulldog International Rally of North Wales will be heading for the centre of Welshpool next Friday evening prior to the action getting underway in earnest on Saturday.
Welshpool Town Council has arranged a market, fairground and live band for the new ceremonial start which will take place in the centre of the town on Friday from 6pm meaning both rally fans and local residents can get up close and personal with the crews and cars in Church Street car park. Organisers are hoping the townsfolk of Welshpool and the surrounding areas will take the opportunity of seeing the rally without necessarily having to trek off into the forests the following day.
Amongst the competitors who will be appearing are series leading Scottish pair David Bogie and co driver Kevin Rae who took the win on round one whereby they'll be hoping to get the better once again of fellow Mitsubishi pairing of Welshmen Tom Cave and his co driver Craig Parry on their local event.
Another Welsh pairing in the shape of Elfyn Evans and Andrew Edwards brought their Subaru home in third place on the opening round, just ahead of team-mates Adam Gould and Seb Marshall so they too will be looking to score maximum points on home soil.
With a quality entry assembled for the 51st running of the Wolverhampton & South Staffordshire Car Club Ltd-organised event which is sponsored by Bulldog Security Products Ltd of Much Wenlock for the 15th consecutive year, as well as the main BRC field, there are plenty of additional classes and championships being contested.
Estonian student Siim Plangi leads the British Formula 2 Rally Championship, Rally 2 and Junior classes in his Renault Twingo ahead of Finnish team-mate Mikko Pajunen whereas Rally 3 is headed by British driver Callum Black. Bogie heads Rally 4 and the Privateers Cup with Louise Cook in the lead of the Ladies Cup. In the one make series, Irishman Desi Henri leads the Citroen Racing Trophy with fellow countryman Craig Breen heading the Fiesta Sport Trophy. In the Teams Championship, Autosport Technology holds the advantage arriving in Welshpool.
In the Dunlop/WONAGO MSA British Historic Rally Championship, Welsh ace Julian Reynolds won the opening round in his Ford Escort but as well as the usual opposition, he'll face French ace Francois Delecour who will drive a Porsche 911 on the classic Welsh stages.
The event will be based for the second year at Welshpool Livestock Sales at Buttington Cross, which also hosts the finish on Saturday afternoon, and as well as the international rally, it also incorporates The Bulldog Historic Rally, The Bulldog Challenge Rally and The Bulldog National Rally. As well as the main British Rally Championship, the Bulldog International Rally of North Wales incorporates qualifying rounds of the Hankook MSA Welsh National Championship, BRC Challenge, Brian Dennis Welsh Historic Championship and ANWCC Championships.
Whereas the final closing date for the International event has passed, there is still time for Historic, Challenge and National competitors to enter before the closing date of Tuesday 29th March 2011.
A shakedown is scheduled for Thursday 31st March 2011 and will be run by PEC at Corwen, west of Llangollen on the A5. Documentation for competitors wishing to participate in the Recce will be at Rally Headquarters on the evening of Thursday 31st March 2011 and the Recce will take place from 08:00 to 17:00 approximately on Friday, 1st April 2011 and competitors will have two passes at each location.
