Over 170 cars are expected to leave Chepstow Racecourse early this Saturday morning for 45 miles of competitive action in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley.

The Team GMF Wyedean Forest Rally promises to be a battle royal in each of the three categories, and will be sure to light up the Forest.

Last year's 1400 category winner Julian Wilkes will lead the field away in his 16v Nova. Hot on his heels will be championship front runner, Darren Pinchen, in his Gibsons' backed Proton Satria. He will have Karen Watts on the notes.

Other crews expected to be in the mix at the end, include the Lewis brothers in another 16v Nova, Callum Black and Matt Edwards in a pair of MGZRs. One local driver to look out for is Nigel Jenkins of Coleford in his DBS Cars Nova.

The Historic Rally throws up many potential winners. Dave Stokes is top seed in his Draycott Bakeries Escort RS 1600. Just behind him is 67 year old, Terry Brown in the 'Team GMF' Escort RS1800, with Paul Willetts of Whitecroft in the hot seat. Both these drivers did the first Wyedean back in 1975. Two other possible winners could be Simon Tysoe, with the evergreen Cliff Simmons on the notes in his 18th Wyedean, and Dave Jenkins of Coleford, co-driven as usual by Graham Cox, also in a 'Team GMF' Escort RS1800. Others to look out for are Dick Slaughter, James Potter, and Stuart Clarke all in Escorts and the beautiful Opel Ascona 400 driven by Theo Bengry.

In the big car battle it will again be hard to pick a winner. The victor from last year, Nik Elsmore, in the Klarius/Team GMF Lancer Evo9, is always hard to beat on his home turf. He is going out to try and equal his father's record of three victories. In a strange coincidence, Bainbridge Silencers who sponsored Nik's father, ended up in the ownership of Klarius!

But there are other contenders, Steve Perez in his Focus 07 WRC, Hugh Hunter in the ex-McRae 01 Focus, and Damian Cole of Hereford, who has last year's winning co-driver, Craig Drew, on the notes, driving the ex-works Accent WRC.

BTRDA Champion, Dave Wright, lines up in his Lancer Evo.9. Pre-event favourite Andy Burton is at 6 in the awesome Peugeot Cosworth. Others who will go well include Shaun Gardner, LancerEvo, Roger Chilman, Impreza, James Belton, Impreza WRC, and the Ford Focus duo John Lloyd and Andrew Barnes.

With battles going on right the way through the entire field, this will certainly be a treat for all the watching spectators.