SUNDAY drivers beware - the North Tyne Valley is no place for the faint-hearted this weekend.

The country's top rally drivers, and some from further afield, will be in the North-East for the opening round of the Kwik Fit Pirelli British Rally Championship.

The two-day event, beginning Friday night and ending 24-hours later, is based in Gateshead but the main action will take place in Kielder Forest, some 40 miles away. The twisty, undulating gravel tracks feature blind brows and deceptive bends, all waiting to catch out the unwary.

There is a top class field for the event, headed by double British champions, Jonny Milner and Nicky Beech who are going for a record third-successive title.

They have never won in Kielder but were in the top three places on every round of the championship last year and have a Subaru World Rally Car in which to mount their challenge.

Milner will not have it all his own way, though, as he will face stiff competition from the likes of David Higgins and Chris Wood in a Hyundai Accent and Irish Champion Austin McHale, who will be behind the wheel of a Toyota Corolla.

Alistair Ginley returns to the championship with a Subaru Impreza WRC and Shildon's Barry Johnson, who now owns former World Champion Petter Solberg's Impreza, is also worth keeping an eye on.

Behind the front-runners, there is a mouthwatering battle in prospect in the Super 1600 category where Darlington's Guy Wilks debuts the Dealer Team Suzuki Ignis. Wilks led the event for a while last year before succumbing to one of Kielder's many hazards.

This year he faces a mighty challenge from the Fiat Punto Abarths of Alessandro Broccoli and Leo Pesticcio, a trio of Renault Clio's for Simon Hughes, Gareth Jones and Olly Marshall, the Citroen Saxo of Aki Teiskonen, Steve Hills Alfa Romeo and Barry Clark and Zimbabwean Conrad Rautenbach in Ford Pumas.

The Pirelli International Rally sees the inaugural round of the Fiat Stilo Cup series and the distinctive yellow, Italian-built machines are a welcome addition to the championship ranks. Battling it out on this opening round will be Shaun Woffinden, Joan Rocca, Paul Tod, Willie Bonniwell, Tom Metcalfe and Chris Davies.

Published: 23/04/2004