RALLY stars from all over the world arrive in the North West this week for Britain's biggest motorsport event of the year, the Network Q RAC Rally.

Nearly 200 competitors leave the Chester startline early on Saturday morning for three days and 256 miles of high-speed action in England, Scotland and Wales.

The RAC is one of the few sporting events where genuine amateurs can line up against the superstars.

And this year sees two East Lancashire privateers bidding for their share of the limelight.

Nigel Worswick, seeded at car no 51, is no stranger to the RAC - this will be his seventh attempt.

And he will be hoping to improve on his previous best, achieved in 1993, of 23rd overall.

The 40-year-old chartered engineer from Blackburn is partnered by regular co-driver Clive Molyneux, from Great Harwood in their Allen Bradley-backed Ford Sierra Cosworth 4x4.

"The new three-day format is going to make life difficult for all the competitors," said Nigel.

"Half of the total stage mileage takes place on the first day, which means you have to be on the pace from the very start.

"But the Saturday leg also includes nearly 100 miles in Kielder Forest, which is notorious for punishing drivers who make the slightest mistake. "If we make it through to Wales on the final day, I'm hoping for a top fifteen finish.

"I always seem to go well in the Welsh forests, and won the Cambrian Rally there last month, so I'm hoping that my run of success will continue."

For 33-year-old Rossendale driver Ian Knight, just getting to the finish will be a victory in itself.

Said Ian: "It's a long and hard event, so I'll be pacing myself to make it through the three days, rather than going for it', and ending up on my roof somewhere!"

Which is exactly what he did last year, rolling his Peugeot 205 GTi in an horrific accident in Kielder Forest.

"I don't remember too much about the crash, as I blacked out half way through," recalled Ian.

"But it all went wrong after the car took off over a jump. It landed on a tree stump, ripping out the front suspension and then rolled....and rolled again."

The bits of the car that survived have been transplanted into a new bodyshell which Ian - and co-driver Noel Fletcher - have been building all year, in preparation for what they describe as The Big One'.

"We're just going to build up speed as we go along, and if the attrition rate is as high as we expect, a place in the top twenty-five is definitely on." RALLY stars from all over the world arrive in the North West this week for Britain's biggest motorsport event of the year, the Network Q RAC Rally.

Nearly 200 competitors leave the Chester startline early on Saturday morning for three days and 256 miles of high-speed action in England, Scotland and Wales.

The RAC is one of the few sporting events where genuine amateurs can line up against the superstars.

And this year sees two East Lancashire privateers bidding for their share of the limelight.

Nigel Worswick, seeded at car no 51, is no stranger to the RAC - this will be his seventh attempt.

And he will be hoping to improve on his previous best, achieved in 1993, of 23rd overall.

The 40-year-old chartered engineer from Blackburn is partnered by regular co-driver Clive Molyneux, from Great Harwood in their Allen Bradley-backed Ford Sierra Cosworth 4x4.

"The new three-day format is going to make life difficult for all the competitors," said Nigel.

"Half of the total stage mileage takes place on the first day, which means you have to be on the pace from the very start.

"But the Saturday leg also includes nearly 100 miles in Kielder Forest, which is notorious for punishing drivers who make the slightest mistake.

"If we make it through to Wales on the final day, I'm hoping for a top fifteen finish.

"I always seem to go well in the Welsh forests, and won the Cambrian Rally there last month, so I'm hoping that my run of success will continue."

For 33-year-old Rossendale driver Ian Knight, just getting to the finish will be a victory in itself.

Said Ian: "It's a long and hard event, so I'll be pacing myself to make it through the three days, rather than going for it', and ending up on my roof somewhere!"

Which is exactly what he did last year, rolling his Peugeot 205 GTi in an horrific accident in Kielder Forest.

"I don't remember too much about the crash, as I blacked out half way through," recalled Ian.

"But it all went wrong after the car took off over a jump. It landed on a tree stump, ripping out the front suspension and then rolled....and rolled again."

The bits of the car that survived have been transplanted into a new bodyshell which Ian - and co-driver Noel Fletcher - have been building all year, in preparation for what they describe as 'The Big One'.

"We're just going to build up speed as we go along, and if the attrition rate is as high as we expect, a place in the top 25 is definitely on."

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