RALLY sport version of the Wirral made Astra is in action this weekend for the Wrexham based 1999 Vauxhall Rally of Wales.

More than 150 cars are competing. At 8am on Saturday the historic rally cars start at Wrexham's Yale College followed by the modern Vauxhall Rally of Wales entries at 9 a.m.

British champion Martin Rowe (Renault) won this event last year and tops the 1999 entry list, out to make it two in a row. Welsh favourite is Gwyndaf Evans in a Seat while fifth and sixth starters are Kytolehto and Wearden in Vauxhall's. The Land Rover Challenge runs at the same time, so there is lots of action to see as the cars head into mid Wales via stages at Dyfnant, Gartheingo, Dyfi and Dyfnant

Sunday, the rally starts at Wrexham, historics at 5am and Rally of Wales at 6am. Wirral rally driver Mark Cowell, pictured left giving the thumbs up, is in a Skoda taking part in the Panaround, which starts at 7.30am.

"We are in 134th place and the co-driver is David Swift," says banker Mark, of Thingwall. "This is going to be a difficult rally as there is only servicing at the start and finish. Car and crew have to last 45 stage miles without a service. Fingers crossed!"

Sunday stages are at Myherin, Sweet Lamb and Hafren with prizegiving in Wrexham on Sunday from 5pm.

Mark is using the Skoda in a number of rallies and is looking for sponsorship. After the Vauxhall Rally, he tackles the Astra Stages Forest Rally, Clocaenog, on April 3 and is in the I.o.M May on May 8.

He has other rallies during the Summer and can be seen at the Promenade Stages, New Brighton Promenade, on July 24.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.