Former BTRDA rally champion Roger Chilman will return to the sport this coming weekend in a hired historic Escort RS1800. With Bryan Thomas alongside him, the 2005 Gold Star champion will compete on the Plains National Rally, the latest round of the REIS BTRDA, Mintex Welsh & Dennis Motorsport Welsh Historic series. This will be his first event since the end of 2012 when he crashed his Subaru Impreza heavily on the Cambrian Rally. "My Impreza is now fully rebuilt and ready to go, but I've been interested in trying an Escort for a number of years, and with historic rallying being so competitive and looking such good fun, it may be the way to go," said Chilman. "My father used Escorts for many years and actually won the Plains in 1982 with Bryan alongside him, so it seemed right to do this rally, and with its fast flowing stages proper Escort territory, but there is no way I will be emulating dad's victory – it's my first time in a rwd car and it will be a steep learning curve for me, but I will have Bryan's experience alongside me which will help." The Escort is the ex-Jimmy McRae car hired from Melvyn Evans Motorsport. The Welshpool-based event has attracted a high class entry with round one winner David Bogie present, reigning BTRDA champion Euan Thorburn, Steve Petch, last round victor Steve Perez with Paul Spooner, and Daniel O'Brien, all Ford Focus mounted. Dave Weston Junior makes another trip down from Scotland with his S11 Impreza, Luke Francis in his B13 Lancer Evo 9, plus a host of quick Group N drivers – Patrick Naylor, Tom Naughton and Russ Thompson. Of the locals, Bob Morgan and Ade Williams in the Winner Garage Skoda S2000 Evo after more miles in the new car are looking for more class honours. Jon Ballinger and Mike Wilding are there in the RPM Motors Opel Manta, while Hereford's Simon Dalton has Steve Turvey alongside in a Fiesta ST. Simon Pickering and Colin Jenkins will be looking to consolidate their Welsh historic position in the Escort RS1600. Shawn Baldwin and Simon Cox in the Autofix of Coleford Escort RS, Rory Hall and Will Rogers in a Subaru Impreza and Chepstow duo Sacha Kakad and Andrew Price have dominated class N3 in the Fiesta ST. In the Morris Lubricants 1400 series, Dan Gray and Matt Rogers will be in a strong position to go for the 1400 series victory after a strong performance in Somerset. The impressive Dave Brick and Rob Woodhouse in the TNT Tyres Vauxhall Nova will be after more class honours, as will Hereford duo Phil and Tim Banner in their Peugeot 205 Rallye. The event starts in Welshpool and offers some of the best forestry stages in the UK with Dyfi, Gartheniog, Hafren and Pantperthog. Pictured are Dan Gray and Matt Rogers, photo courtesy of http://www.paulmitchell-photography.co.uk">www.paulmitchell-photography.co.uk