Builth Wells man Jason Pritchard and co-driver Phil Clarke are targeting a piece of rallying history in this weekend’s Manx National Rally.

The North Road Garage pair have won four of the last five runnings of the event and led the other edition by more than three minutes when a mechanical malady struck their Ford Focus WRC 05.

One more win would take them level with legendary Northern Irish rally star Kenny McKinstry and co-driver Noel Orr as the only five-time winners.

As if that didn’t make them strong enough favourites, they lead the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship standings after victory on the opening Tour of Epynt.

The Manx is the contest’s first ever double-header round, with a set of points available on each day.

So, who has the task of chasing them down in the Masterpixel Media-sponsored event?

North Wales’s Hugh Hunter and Kirk Michael co-driver Rob Fagg won the rally in 2017 but were out within the first two miles last year. Hunter has switched to a similar 2005-spec Focus WRC to Pritchard, so they have the firepower to take up the fight.

So too does the ever-present Damian Cole, maintaining the Wales focus in another ’05 machine.

Every year we ask, can this finally be the year the multiple former champion takes that elusive Manx victory after so many podiums? It looks a tall order, but a home victory last weekend means he is in fine form.

Jamie Jukes breaks the Ford - if not the Welsh - stranglehold at the top of the entry with his potent Mitsubishi Mirage.

The winner of last November’s PokerStars Rally is always one to light up the roads, as are former Manx Rally champions Daniel Harper/Chris Campbell, the Lancashire Mini Sport pair returning with their WRC version.

The leading all-local crew amongst the 115-strong entry is Andrew Dudgeon and Joe Dooley in the Mitsubishi Evo 6.5. The event marks Dudgeon’s welcome return to motorsport after his horrific Macau GP bike smash last November, and he’s aiming high.

’I want a podium at least,’ said the Ramsey driver, who is still recuperating, and has foregone any return to two-wheel racing this year.

’It’ll be nice to get back into it. I’m not 100 percent yet, but the bones have healed. I just need the muscles to come on. I am still only back to work two days a week [as a landscape gardener], so I may need to take it a bit easy over the jumps!’

The pair set a string of top-five stage times in the event 12 months ago and want to make this run count.

’We’re facing an uncertain future really with how many more events we’ll have in the car, so I need to make the most of it. Whilst I’m not racing bikes I’ve got to get my motorsport fix from somewhere!’

Other leading locals include Ballasalla’s Stu Bainborough, who has top-UK co-driver Paula Swinscoe on the notes in the Mitsubishi Evo VI; father and daughter Timmy and Cliona Collins (Subaru Impreza), and Gary Leece/John Tarrant (Evo 6.5).

Gary, based in France, showed plenty of his old speed on his return last year, without getting a result.

The top two-wheel drive battle is likely to have plenty of local interest, with George and Graham Collister and reigning Manx champions Kex Walker/Dannii Matthews - both BMW powered, joined by Martyn Jones/Dave Radcliffe (Vauxhall Nova) and Rory and Paul McCann (Honda Civic), who came to prominence in last year’s event.

Route Overview

The shakedown stage takes place tomorrow (Friday) from 10am to 2.30pm at Barroose, Dog Kennels and Creg-ny-Baa backroad.

The event proper has a distinct north/south split, with the opening evening taking in two runs of a loop that starts with Brandywell Cottage and Druidale, before heading to Ballaugh Cronk and Broughjairg.

A shortened version of the Swithcback and Staarvey follows, before the longest stage of the night over Little London, Sartfield, Injebreck, West Baldwin, Ballaoates and the Abbeylands jump brings crews back to the event’s TT Grandstand base.

Saturday starts with a double run of Keristal and the Old Castletown Road, before heading to a brief re-group at St John’s after a 13.5-mile stage at Braaid, Ellerslie, Mullinaragher, St Mark’s and the Lhoobs.

Another 13.5-mile test is the return of the full Round Table stage, starting in St John’s and heading to Glen Rushen Mines, Ronague and Grenaby before finishing at Parville in Ballabeg.

The popular double run past The Shore Hotel, at Gansey, to the Southern 100 start line via Balladoole will be at lunchtime, with a second run of St Mark’s and Round Table completing the action mid-afternoon.