Network Q Rally of Great Britain Reports Service

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McRae aims to end his career with the Subaru team with victory after his unlucky defeat when leading in Australia - which leaves the Finn Tommi Makinen and the canny Spaniard Carlos Sainz to battle for the world crown.

Makinen holds a two point lead going into the three day event and bids to become the first driver to win the World Championship three times and give Mitsubishi the manufacturers prize as well. He will be engaged almost from the start with a cat and mouse game with Sainz and with the price so high the action on the third and final day's seven stages ion the south Wales forests should be a thriller in a year when surprises and upsets have occurred frequently on the last day.

The two Mitsubishis are seeded to start first and second with Richard Burns, who lost last year thanks to a puncture on the last day, equally anxious to leave the Mitsubishi camp on a high note - he takes over McRae's spot at Subaru next year and a victory for the Oxford man would be just reward for this year's Safari winner.

The Network Q sees the swansong of the Ford Escort after 34 years during which it has become the best known make of rally car world wide and picked up nearly 50 wins at the highest level. Juha Kankkunen and Bruno Thiry are both capable of winning - but is the car quick enough to halt the charge of the Japanese.

This year's event will be fought out over 28 timed stages, all but the first 13 being in the well known Welsh forests. On the opening day crews will tackle the Spectator Sunday stages with the main concentration this year being at Silverstone, the home of the British F1 Grand Prix, where there will be five tests. The action really starts on Monday November 22nd with the inclusion of a new 12 mile stage included in the day's total of 88 stage miles with the crews making four service halts in Builth Wells.

On Tuesday November 23rd the seven stages, totalling 103 miles, include the longest stage. This is Resolven and is 27 miles long and at the final service crews will have to make sure their cars are fit enough to do the last 36 miles in three tests without any help.

The Network Q is a truly international event and 23 nations are represented in an expected total of around 170 crews. Apart from the crews from Great Britain, who make up more than three quarters of the entry, Finland and France have the biggest representation with Ari Vatanen, the original Flying Finn making what is probably his last appearance.

British hopes probably depend on the reliability of the Renault Megane of the Isle of Man resident Martin Rowe who won the Mobil 1 British title for the first time in September and there is a host of young home talent who will want to make an impression for a spectator audience of several million on what is the biggest sporting outdoor event of the year in England.

Enjoy the Rally, from The UKMotorSport Index Team!