Sordo keen for Cornbury outing
The Mini and Ford World Rally Cars will make their British debut at The Rally Show in Oxfordshire this weekend
The event, running at Cornbury Park instead of Chatsworth for the first time, will feature Spain's Dani Sordo driving a Mini John Cooper Works WRC and Henning Solberg and Ott Tanak driving the Ford Fiesta RS WRC.
Beyond those stars of the world stage, some of the sport's biggest names from down the years will be entertaining the crowds at the Saturday-Sunday event.
Following his sixth place on the Mini's WRC debut on Rally d'Italia last weekend, Sordo says he is looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of the world's newest World Rally Car.
"I don't know too much about the place," said Sordo. "But it's always good to see lots of spectators and to give them a show. The car was very good in Italy, it was getting better and better through the event, we got some good experience there and I'm looking forward to showing the people in England what the car can do."
Solberg, older brother of 2003 world champion Petter, is a veteran of 101 world championship rallies - and was a big hit with fans at last year's Rally Show.
"I really enjoyed last year - the crowds were fantastic," said Solberg. "We're very lucky in rallying to have so many loyal fans, I really appreciate all their support and it's fantastic to be able to help give something back to our fans. I'm really looking forward to next weekend and can't wait to show everyone Ford's new Fiesta RS WRC."
Solberg will drive a factory Ford - expected to be Khalid Al-Qassimi's Rally d'Italia Fiesta - on Saturday before he hands it over to Tanak for Sunday, when the winner of the Super 2000 World Rally Championship round in Italy will make his debut in a new specification World Rally Car.
"It will be fantastic to drive one of these cars," said Tanak. "I drove a 2003 Focus RS WRC before, but not one of these new generation cars. I'm really looking forward to it."
Among the other attractions at the former Rally GB spectator stage will be five-time British Rally Champion Jim McRae, former Monte Carlo Rally winner Paddy Hopkirk and Welsh rally hero Gwyndaf Evans.
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