Following the cancellation of the opening British Rally Championship event in Wales, due to inclement weather, the Citroen Racing Trophy UK will finally get underway this weekend on the forestry special stages of the Pirelli Rally.Thanks to the generous support of Citroen Racing, Total, Pirelli and Citroen UK, the Trophy boasts a serious prize fund with the aim to help the stars of the future in rallying. For each of the seven rounds 4000 in parts vouchers will be handed out for a BRC round win, 2500 for second and 1500 for third. An additional 1000 will be awarded on each round for the first junior driver (under 23) home.If last seasons CRT UK series was anything to go by its going to be a frenetic championship and there is much excitement, with a batch of new drivers in the series to pilot the 1600cc turbo-charged rockets.Amongst them is this years Pirelli Star Driver, Mark Donnelly. The young Northern Irish driver won the end of year shoot-out, granting him a fully funded drive in the BRC, courtesy of Pirelli. Making the switch from a Clio R3, he will be behind the wheel of a DGM-run DS3 R3 for 2013. Initial results have been positive for Donnelly, who, despite still adapting to his Citron machinery, finished the Granite City Rally as the third quickest DS3 racer.Another driver who makes the move away from a Clio to a DS3 R3 is Carlisles Peter Taylor. Taylor is now part of an exciting two-car team with young Scot, John MacCrone, who enjoyed some impressive showings last season in the FIA WRC Academy and is keen to make the step up to an R3 car with the new Culina Palletforce racing team. The cars will be prepared by CA1 Sport.Meanwhile, last years Pirelli Star driver, 28-year-old Juka Korhonen from Finland, will also run in the series for 2013. Korhonens DS3 will be run by the Autosport Technology team, which took Keith Cronin to title victory back in 2012.One new driver who has already made a sensational DS3 R3 debut is Alastair Fisher from Northern Ireland. Competing in the WRC Rally Portugal, he led the field early on in his first event in the car and is going to be another serious contender for the CRT UK title.Former Irish Evo Challenge winner, Brendan Cumiskey from Dundalk is also a newcomer to the Trophy, and has driven the DS3 on a local forestry event, and indeed on the Granite City, where he slid off the road on the final stage.Returning to Trophy competition for another season is James Grint who ended last season sixth in the CRT UK standings.Also contesting the Trophy for another season is the Welsh contingent of Tom Cave and Osian Pryce. Both drivers enjoyed strong seasons in 2012 and were very evenly matched, finishing the final Trackrod round tied to the split second on time. The win ultimately went to 21-year-old Cave, courtesy of a tie-break.Beginning his rallying career back when he was just 14, Cave raced in Latvia in his formative rallying years, becoming the youngest ever driver to hold an international rally licence aged 16. Boasting a new team sponsor in the form of Morris Lubricants for 2013, the hotel manager from west Wales is highly motivated for the forthcoming season.Caves fellow countryman Pryce has begun his 2013 rally campaign well, finishing the Granite City Rally as the lead DS3 driver. Pryce is looking forward to getting his Trophy campaign underway this weekend, after overcoming funding issues to secure a drive for the season.Trailing Pryce at the Granite City Rally was Northern Irish racer, Desi Henry, who is likely to be a strong contender with the help of new sponsors, SJC Hutchinson Engineering.Another Ulster driver is Jonny Greer, whose family business DGM Sport will also be running Alastair Fisher in the series. Jonny was also testing his DS3 on the Granite City event, but booking into a time control early cost him any chance of a good result.The stage is set for one of the most exciting one make series in British rallying history, the crews fighting it out for overall rally honours as well as the superb CRT UK prize fund.