CURRENT British Championship leader Matt Edwards will aim to further prove his versatility on this weekend’s Trackrod Rally Yorkshire when he contests the Historic Cup.

Edwards, from Llandudno, who has already been crowned Jordan Road Surfacing BTRDA Rally Series champion, has driven a high specification Ford Fiesta WRC during his multiple successes in both major modern rally series this year.

But he will be at the wheel of a 40-year old Fiat 131 replica tomorrow night and on Saturday when he undertakes the North York Moors forest-based event against some of the most experienced drivers of other cars from yesteryear.

Not that the in-form Welshman is any stranger to either the annual Yorkshire extravaganza or rallying ageing cars, having won the Trackrod Historic Cup in 2013 - his first outright ‘historic’ victory - driving an Escort RS1800, then finishing second the following year.

This year, Edwards, alongside fellow Welshman Darren Garrod, his regular co-driver, has stormed to maximum points on all three British Championship rallies so far, while clinching the BTRDA series at the Ludlow racecourse-based Eventsigns Woodpecker Rally earlier this month with a fourth victory in six rounds.

So, despite having no need to come to Yorkshire, the duo will cross England to contest the Historic Cup, which runs concurrently to the Forest Stages event but has the additional attraction of an exhilarating night stage in Dalby Forest tomorrow.

“It’s bit of a development exercise really as the Fiat belongs to one of my sponsors, Peter Smith," said Edwards.

“I have done some testing in the car, so we now want to see how that translates into

competition.

“I like the Trackrod, having won it before, and it will be nice to come back and do it again against some of the top boys in historic rallying.”

Swift Leisure boss Smith is also entered, ironically in a Fiesta, although not the same one Edwards has been campaigning.

“I wouldn’t say our success has surprised me this year as it’s a build-up of a lot of people’s time and effort,” continued Edwards - who was only due to arrive back in Britain today after providing some rally tuition in Latvia.

“Everything has gone really well. All the boxes have been ticked from my point of view - the car, the co-driver, the team and the support around us.

“I’ve been able to just concentrate on putting my 14 years of experience to best use with a great set-up around me."

The Rally GB - the final round of the British Rally Championship - also begins next Thursday.

Edwards’ Fiat is prepared by Kevin Theaker, who also built the Mk2 Escorts driven by rivals Steve Bannister, Nick Elliott and Matthew Robinson, thus giving the Malton-based company a huge interest in four of the top five seeded cars on the Historic half of the Trackrod event.

Bannister, also from near Malton, is bidding for a record fourth successive success in the 55-stage mile (six stages) Historic Cup, having previously, during the 1980s, become the first man to win the then one event Trackrod Rally three times.

Ripon dairy boss Charlie Payne also goes into the weekend’s action on an unbroken hat-trick of successes in the 45-mile (five stages) Trackrod Forest Stages Rally.

The rally starts and finishes in Filey.

The ceremonial start to the weekend’s action is along Filey Beach Road from 6pm tomorrow.

The Historic cars and drivers, plus a handful of army Land Rovers, will be available for chats and photos before the first competitor crosses the start ramp an hour later and heads for the opening 10.5-mile Dalby Stage.

The following morning the Trackrod Forest Stages Rally contestants, many chasing points in the BTRDA Championship as well as other national and regional title races, will join in for the other five stages.

Both the start and finish, from mid-afternoon on Saturday, are free to onlookers, who are encouraged to use the special spectator areas in Dalby (Woodyard and

Housedale) and Cropton (Spiers House) to catch the action.

These areas have full facilities, with Dalby Woodyard also carrying informed commentary - more details of which are on the rally website rallyyorkshire.co.uk/