Network Q RAC Rally 23-25 November 1997

• Entries approach record levels
• All factory entries in
• V-Rally sponsorship for Millbrook

By 6 October, the organisers had received no fewer than 200 entries for this year's Network Q RAC Rally. The RACMSA have been overwhelmed by the upsurge in interest, which has given rise to the greatest response at this stage since 1988.

When entries close on Wednesday 22 October, the organisers will be faced with the epic task of deciding who gets one of the coveted 160 start places.

All four World Rally Championship factory teams ­ Ford, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Toyota ­ have now officially entered the event, which provides the finale to this year's 14-round FIA World Championship. Depending on the outcome of the Sanremo Rally (13-15 Oct) and Rally Australia (1-3 Nov), the Network Q RAC Rally could provide a nail-biting climax to both this year's Manufacturers' and Drivers' championships.

The massively popular Colin McRae, still involved in a three-way race for the Drivers' title with Carlos Sainz and Tommi Makinen, will be a major headline attraction as he attempts a hat-trick of Network Q RAC Rallies after back-to-back victories in 1994 and 1995 (absent in 1996).

This year's event provides the British public with its first opportunity to enjoy close-up the new breed of World Rally Car, of which at least eight examples will be on the list of starters: three Subaru Imprezas for Colin McRae, Kenneth Eriksson and Piero Liatti; three Ford Escorts for Carlos Sainz, Juha Kankkunen and Gregoire de Mevius; and two Toyota Corollas for Didier Auriol and Marcus Gronholm.

The two-litre, two wheel drive category ­ mainstay of the Mobil 1 British Championship ­ will also be hotly contested by Renault (Maxi Meganes for Robbie Head and Martin Rowe), Skoda (new Octavias for Emil Triner and Pavel Sibera), Nissan (a new Almera GTi for UK champion Mark Higgins), Volkswagen (a Golf GTi for Alister McRae) and SEAT (no fewer than five Ibizas).

Other interesting entrants to this year's Rally include the newly crowned European Rally Champion Krzysztof Holowczyc (Subaru Impreza), who made his first serious impression upon the sport on this event last year, Bernard Munster (Skoda Felicia), Masao Kamioka (Subaru Impreza), and Group N favourite Karamjit Singh (Proton Persona).

V-Rally has announced its sponsorship of the Millbrook special stage for this year's Network Q RAC Rally. V-Rally ­ the rally simulator game created for the Playstation by Ocean Software ­ boasts "the most thrilling and realistic simulation of rally driving outside of the real thing", featuring nine of the world's most prestigious rally cars and 42 realistic and varied tracks.