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Ex-WRC regular Matthew Wilson returns in British Rally Championship

Former World Rally Championship driver Matthew Wilson will return to competition in the British Rally Championship at the Pirelli Carlisle Rally later this month

Wilson was a WRC regular from 2006-11, but has only competed sporadically since.

He will drive an M-Sport-run Ford Fiesta R5 on the third round of the BRC, co-driven by Stuart Loudon.

But Wilson will have a nervous wait this weekend, as the car is being driven by Elfyn Evans in Argentina.

M-Sport will have just one day to re-prep the car in time for the start of the Kielder-baded event.

"We're relying on Elfyn getting through Argentina without any problems," Wilson told Autosport.

"It'll be quite a tight turnaround getting the car back from Argentina, but I'm sure it'll be fine."

Wilson, who now heads up M-Sport's Bentley race programme, stopped competing full-time in 2011 and last contested a BRC round in 2005 - when he won the Trackrod Rally to round off his two seasons in the series.

"It has been a while, but we'll get a test next week, just to get back into the driving again," said Wilson.

"Then, hopefully, we can make shakedown the day before the start."

Wilson admitted he was jumping back in at the deep end in terms of competition.

"I'm going to be competing against guys who are match fit and driving a lot more regularly than me," he said.

"Look at Elfyn, he's probably driving better now than he has in his whole life and he'll be coming in straight off the back of Argentina.

"Then there's Fredrik Ahlin and Tom Cave, to name just a couple of quick drivers.

"And, I haven't been in Kielder since 2004. But the good thing is that I've made the deal a bit cheaper by choosing the closest BRC round to home!

"It's fantastic to see the BRC looking so strong again and it's great to support it, not that it really needs our support."

Wilson family honour will be at stake when Matthew starts the event on April 30 - the last time his father Malcolm tackled the Pirelli he won it by almost three minutes in 1994.

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