A maximum 180 car field is on line for the Wyedean Forest Rally on February 13th and the Forest Rally's new sponsor, GMF Motor Factors, has won The Motor Factor of the Year Award which they picked up at a ceremony in London last Friday, January 22nd.
Local crews taking part now include Ronnie Taylor and Kevin Lane in an 1600 Escort twin cam. Rallying newcomer Tim Phelps has bought the ex-Bob Gibbons MK1 RS 2000, and he will have Pete Wilson on the notes. Off-road champion, Ian Archer, will be using his 4 litre Landrover with Tom Aubrey alongside.
Father and son, Chris and Dave Lane will be going head to head. Chris Lane with Boyd Cox on the notes will drive a Subaru Impreza, his son Dave will be with Mark Watkins in the mighty V6 Sierra 4x4. Shane Parry and Whitecroft's Stuart Akers are back in a hired Nissan Micra.
Rob Drew is to team up with Bream stone-mason, Mike Trueman. This will be Mike's Rallying debut. Last year Trueman was responsible for organising machines to clear the snow off the stages to get the event running. Drew is working around the clock to get the ME Damsell, Miners Arms, Whitecroft Escort RS ready.
Also burning the midnight oil to get their car ready are Jason Worgan and Mark Wheeler in the 'Signs by Samurai' Subaru Impreza, and Ross-on-Wye's Ian Blethyn is teaming up with Cannock's Gary Kenna in a Subaru Impreza.
Chris Cook teams up with well known Motorsport Photographer Julian Jones in the Ermin Plant Hire Peugeot 106, this being another crew making their Wyedean debut. Gloucester's Andy Gwynne will team up with John Connor in the awesome Saxo Super 1600. Other notable entries include Steve Perez in his 07 Ford Focus WRC, 2007 Winner Hugh Hunter will bring his 01 Focus WRC. BTRDA Champion Dave Wright will be in an EVO9, while former event sponsor, Damian Cole, is to drive an Accent WRC. John Lloyd, Andrew Barnes will be in a pair of Focus WRCs.
In the Historic part of the event, British Historic Championship regulars James Potter, Dick Slaughter, Dave Stokes, Terry Brown and Simon Tysoe and Cliff Simmons will take part. The evergreen Simmons doing his 18th Wyedean in the hot seat will face tough competition from Chris Browne, Stuart Clarke and Theo Bengry in the beautiful Opel Ascona 400. (more on page 21).
Leading 1400 entries so far include local duo Darren Pinchen and Karen Watts, Julian Wilkes who won the 1400 section of the event last year, Nigel Jenkins in the DBS Cars 16v Nova, Clive Anstey wheels out his Corsa and the Escort of Martin Shaw. Entries close on January 30th.
For further information checkout the website http://www.wyedeanrally.com">www.wyedeanrally.com
• This weekend at the Brean Leisure Park Stages two day event, 80 cars will tackle tarmac stages in the confines of the caravan park.
Karen Watts is teaming up with tarmac specialist Simon Mauger in his Escort RS 1800.