Preview, round four: Mid-Wales Stages RallyThe Mid-Wales Stages Rally on 26/27June will be round four of the HRCR Classic Stage Rally Championship. With a route that includes classic stages in Hafren and Sweet Lamb, the Mid-Wales promises to be a cracking event to take the season through the halfway point.After two stages on Saturday afternoon, the action resumes with a further seven stages on Sunday before the event finishes back in Newtown on Sunday afternoon.Created by the Historic Rally Car Register, the new Classic Challenge is attracting a strong following of cars covering the period from 1975 to 1981. The 2004 Classic season started on the Robin Hood Stages in March with a debut victory for Will Nicholls/Nick Broom in their Escort Mk2. However, round two on Epynt went to Gareth Lloyd/Ryland James in their Mk2, while Ernie Graham/Robin Kellard triumphed on the Red Dragon Stages in May.All three winning crews will now go head to head on the Mid-Wales in what promises to be a mighty contest. Lloyd/James won the Classic section of the Mid-Wales last year, so will arrive at Newtown in good shape in their West Wales Rally Spares-backed Mk2, while Nicholls/Broom are due a clear run after encountering various dramas on recent events. They lost 1m40s on the Red Dragon after ripping a brake pipe off, but still fought back to second behind Graham/Kellard with a stirring performance.Another crew with winning potential are Martin Freestone and Chris Heyes in their Escort RS1800, even though Freestone has limited gravel experience and will not have competed on these stages before. But a close third on the Red Dragon proved that Freestone is quickly learning about forest rallying.Michael and David Pedley (Escort RS2000), meanwhile, will simply be aiming to get to the finish this year, having slid off on virtually the last corner of the 2003 Mid-Wales. Another class win as well as rattling the more powerful cars will be the aim of the Manchester brothers.New to the Classic Challenge for the Red Dragon was Ian Rix, who returns for the Mid-Wales and is partnered by Frank Richer in another Escort Mk2. Rix claimed an encouraging fifth place on the Red Dragon and will take that experience to the Mid-Wales.The Mid Wales Stages is organised by Newtown and District Automobile Club and for more details about the event, please visit the website at: newtown-mc.co.uk