Last updated at 16:37, Tuesday, 26 February 2013

World rally team boss Malcolm Wilson will be back behind the wheel to compete in a rally named after him this weekend – two weeks after his 56th birthday.

Malcolm Wilson

Wilson, who runs the Qatar M-Sport World Rally from his headquarters at Dovenby Hall, will return to action in Saturday’s Malcolm Wilson Rally, starting and finishing in Cockermouth.

The two-times British Rally Champion will debut his latest customer car, developed at M-Sport over the winter.

M-Sport’s engine specialists have developed an all new 2.4 Litre engine initially intended for its S2000 specification car.

Wilson will be partnered in the Fiesta by M-Sport logistics manager John Millington, Roger Albert Clark-winning navigator.

The engine will be fitted to the Ford Fiesta S2000 which first claimed victory on its debut at the Monte Carlo Rally in 2010.

Wilson is among 113 entries for the Malcolm Wilson Rally, which also includes his son Matthew, who will be joined in an R5 by Chris Patterson, who co-drove for Petter Solberg in the World Rally Championship last year.

Wilson senior said: “This kind of engine really appeals to me so with having the luxury of a spare weekend before heading to Rally Mexico, I couldn’t let the opportunity of giving the unit its debut pass me by.

“It has been a while since I have competed competitively, but I hope people will come out just to hear the noise.”

The M-Sport cars will head a number of Cumbrian crews taking part in the 38th running the rally, which has a ceremonial start in Market Place.

The first stage starts at Comb at 8.45am, before crews tackle the forest tracks of Hobcarton, Greystoke, Grizedale and Wythop.

The awards will be presented in the Shepherds Hotel in Cockermouth at 7.30pm.

First published at 16:33, Tuesday, 26 February 2013
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk