Round four of the hotly-contested 2008 Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship heads for Wales for the first time this season when the Severn Valley National Rally takes place next Saturday (May 31st).

After a race against time to fix an engine problem in his radical Peugeot Cosworth, 2007 winner Andy Burton has put in a late entry and along with co driver Shelley Rogerson, will contest the event running as car 11 but they will be first on the road.

The pair will join the 150 other crews heading for the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells with Midland Manor Motor Club Ltd guaranteeing a superb day's motorsport in the classic mid Wales forests.

Also in action will be defending ANCRO Champions Marcus Dodd and Andrew Bargery in their Hyundai Accent WRC and current leaders of the series, Jon Ingram and Ian Allsop in their Subaru Impreza WRC. Dodd won the opening encounter on Rallye Sunseeker in Bournemouth but has struggled since whereas Ingram took victory on round two in Kielder Forest on the Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally to lead the series by 13 points.

However one crew, who only returned on the last round in the Isle of Man, will be also in the mix. Former champions Roger Duckworth and Mark Broomfield took victory on the RBSI Manx Rally earlier this month and will be looking for maximum points again in their Subaru WRC.  

The Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge is responsible for a dozen entries in the National Rally with young Scottish sensation David Bogie looking to reel in Irishmen Richard Cathcart and Daniel Barry.  Barry, who leads the series, is second overall in the ANCRO standings. 

Other fancied runners include the Ford Focus WRCs of Scotsman Dave Weston, Irishmen Stephen Moore and Michael O'Brien as well as English driver John Lloyd, whereas Welsh wizardry could play a part in the result, especially with the likes of Julian Reynolds, Nigel Griffiths and Damien Cole on home ground. And don't rule out young Stephen Petch (Hyundai Accent WRC), Nik Elsmore (Mitsubishi) and Icelander Dani Sigurdsson (Mitsubishi) who hopes to be fit after injuring his hand on the Manx.

Veteran Harry Dodd leads the 'Old Stagers' class with locals Nathan Crewe and John Connor leading the Two Wheel Drive Challenge in their MG and who will be up against the usual protagonists including Rod Bennett/Henry Richardson in their S1600 Fiat Punto and Tim/Kit Leigh in their Ford Fiesta.
 
The event also incorporates round two of the 2008 Pirelli ANCRO Rally Challenge which sees Ford Fiesta Sporting Trophy runner Kris Hall lead the standings. Whilst local drivers Shaun Gardener (Mitsubishi) and Rob Brick (Subaru) will lead the Severn Valley Clubmans Rally away from the start at 9.30am on Saturday morning, the 'one-make' Fiestas will add spice to the competition including James Everard, Liam Regan and Elfyn Evans as the lure of an end-of-season first prize of a Fiesta ST road car will serve to concentrate a considerable number of minds during the day!

The action begins as the first car in the Severn Valley National Rally leaves the Showground at 8.00am, with the first Historic Rally competitor due to arrive back there at 2.00pm. The survivors from each of the three events will follow on throughout the afternoon.
 
Championship positions can be found at www.gravelrally.co.uk and for further information on the Severn Valley National Rally, visit the event website www.severnvalleynational.co.uk