In the 70-strong line up, with entries from as far as New
Zealand and America, there are no less than eight entries receiving support from
Manufacturers.
The 20-day rally has 82 time-controls, and 28 competitive test-sections, with
more than 6,000 miles of varied terrain placing a premium on reliability. The
10-days in Morocco form the heart of the rally, but the drive up through Portugal,
using some of the classic stages of the old TAP Portugese Rally, provides a sting
in the tail and is expected to provide a major final influence on the leaderboard.
|
| Nicky Porter is an experienced competitor
who is likely to go well in his Mitsubishi Spacestar. |
The event, which revives the long-distance World Cup Rallies of the 1970s, will
be televised on four TV programmes in the UK, in addition to Sky News, and regular
reports in the Daily Telegraph's Motoring Section each Saturday.
Stirling Moss flags off cars from Brooklands at 10.0am, on Sunday, September
30th, drivers then head to Dover. The finish is a return to Brooklands, 6.30pm
on October 19, (6.30pm). Spectators Welcome.
|
| Dave Maryon starts the event at number
5 in his Peugeot 206. |
What makes the London-Sahara-London World Cup Rally so different? Firstly, with
everyone on much the same sort of power levels, plus the great distance, just
about anyone has a chance of outright victory. And instead of discouraging the
privateer clubman, as is the current fashion in major international rallies, this
even is actually encouraging them - a clubman for once has as much chance of winning
outright as one of the eight factory-supported entries.
|
| Bendor Grosvenor and Grace Vanepercy
are running the smallest car on the event - a Smart Pulse. |
Drivers from as far as America and New Zealand are taking part. Manufacturers
supporting entries include: Peugeot, Skoda, MG Rover, VW Racing, Suzuki, Honda,
Ford and Proton. Come and cheer them on their way. Brooklands is 10 minutes from
the north side of Junction 10 of the M25 at Weybridge (half an hour from Heathrow
or Gatwick).
