THIS weekend's Rally North Wales sees local crews tackle the BTRDA & Pirelli Welsh National championship opener.

The Welshpool-based event offers 44 miles of some of Wales’ best stages, with two loops of three tests in Aberhirnant and Dyfnant Forest and has attracted a superb 125-car entry.

Monmouth’s Cliffy Simmons teams up with Devonian Shaun Bolt in his historic spec Escort RS1800 for the first time, alongside the Mini GT of Ross-on-Wye veterans Eric Davis and Russ Joseph in the Dennis Motorsport Mini.

A trio of Abergavenny-based drivers and co-drivers are also making the trip – Rob Morris and Paul Spooner in the Citroën C3, Damian Cole with Ian Allsop calling the notes in the beautiful Get Connected.Com Escort RS1800 – looking to do a full Welsh championship series – and Dave Hopkins with new co-driver Siobhan Pugh in the Hopgrove Construction Mk1 Escort.

And the Forest of Dean’s Bob Morgan with Adrian Williams in the Winner Garage Skoda, Geoff Phelps with Lucy Wilding calling the notes in the Cherry Rock Farm Escort RS1800 in the absence of Colin Jenkins, and Luke Watts in the Ian Watts & Son MG ZR with Matt Rogers back in the hot seat, will also want to make their mark.