Network Q RAC Rally 23-25 November 1997

Jo Brand, the larger-than-life comedian has just added her name to the long list of entries that have flooded into the organisers' office of the 1997 Network Q RAC Rally since entries opened at the start of August.

Over 140 hopefuls have now officially posted their candidacy for places in the epic event's starting line-up. From a characteristically wide variety of backgrounds and nationalities, UK-based entries include a farmer, policeman, solicitor and computer programmer, all of whom will be hoping to line up on Sunday 23 November against ­ among others ­ a Swedish saleswoman and a Jamaican businessman in the great sporting melting pot of the Network Q RAC Rally.

The first factory entry for this year's Network Q RAC Rally was received by the RACMSA in a rather cryptic fashion. Adding fuel to rumours of an impending move by Gwyndaf Evans from Ford to SEAT, the Spanish works team have entered two cars for the 1997 Network Q RAC Rally (23-25 November) without naming either of its crews.

As part of Saab's 50th anniversary celebrations, Erik Carlsson ­ who won consecutive RAC Rallies for Saab from 1960-1962 ­ will manage a team of three Beechdale Saab-prepared cars headed by Per Eklund, the 1985 British Group A Champion, with support from twice Swedish champion Kjell Olofsson and Beechdale's regular British driver, Dave Wood. The announcement marks a welcome return to the event for crowd favourite Eklund, aka 'Pekka', who although never the Rally winner, finished third in a Toyota Celica Turbo in 1984 and has always been responsible for major crowd excitement with his uniquely aggressive driving style.

The Network Q RAC Rally is Britain's biggest annual sporting event (over 2.5 million spectators are expected) and will this year be staged over a reduced, but much enhanced, 1,125 mile (1,810 km) route. Although this represents the shortest distance covered by the event in its 48-year history, organisers are confident that the route presents the best ever balance of exhilarating driving and spectacular viewing opportunities, illustrated by the introduction of the new 1.2-mile all-action Rally Sprint special stage at Silverstone.

The event has moved south to Cheltenham after over a decade based in the North, which has provided the opportunity to create a brand new combination of special stage venues, offering a high profile first day package followed by two long days on gravel Forestry Commission roads.

Six separate venues will play host to the 11 spectator-orientated special stages on Day One of the rally; from the impressive cultural settings of Blenheim Palace and Woburn Abbey, to the testing surrounds of Donington Park and Millbrook, the unique Superspecial Rally Sprint stage at Silverstone, all sandwiched between a dramatic start and finish on the Cheltenham Special Stage, right under the noses of the packed Racecourse grandstand.

Day Two features familiar forest roads in central Wales with a compact new route centred on the market town of Dolgellau, which is used twice as a main service area. The final day of the 1997 FIA World Rally Championship takes competitors into the flowing forest roads of south Wales, not used by any international rally for a decade. Drivers will face eight long special stages in less than seven hours.

The rally includes 245 miles (394 kilometres) of timed stages and the strict limits imposed on servicing and tyre changing under the FIA World Rally Championship regulations mean that drivers will frequently need to nurse their cars over 37 miles (60kms) of special stages before they can reach their mechanics.

Two months in advance of the event's start date, the ticket and information hotline is already being bombarded by fans eager to secure tickets and the best viewing positions for Sunday's six special stage venues, Tuesday afternoon's final special stage at Cheltenham Racecourse and for the weekend's event curtain raiser, the Rally Show.

The prospect of watching the stars of World Rallying performing before the majestic English Heritage backdrops of Blenheim Palace and Woburn Abbey has already proven too good to resist and the circuit-based stages of Donington Park, Silverstone and Millbrook have also elicited a great response. Visitors to Cheltenham Racecourse, the new Rally HQ, will enjoy no fewer than three special stages, plus the excitement of the Rally Show ­ a menu of action which has created a buzz of anticipation both in the Cotswolds and beyond.

The Ticket Hotline number is 01327 857273.