BRITISH Historic champion David Stokes will be looking to finish what has been a superb year on a high when he joins the best drivers in the world at Wales Rally GB this weekend, writes Paul Willetts.

The Dursley-based baker and co-driver Guy Weaver are aiming to repeat last year’s top ten finish and top 2wd in their Escort RS1600 in the National Rally, which will support the final round of the FIA World Rally Championship.

They will be taking on 13 tests over the three days, totalling just under 100 competitive miles.

Great Britain veterans Jimmy McRae and Yate-based co-driver Pauline Gullick line up in the fabulous Vauxhall Firenza, also in the 2wd category.

Both McRae and Gullick’s history of this event go back to the halcyon days of the mid-seventies.

Jason Morgan, together with Adie Williams, will be looking to put the Winner Garage Lancer Evo 6 in to the top ten come Sunday afternoon.

BTRDA champion Steve Perez and veteran co-driver Paul Spooner will wheel out the awesome sounding Lancia Stratos, while Scott Partridge and Chris Ridge line up in the ex-Alistair McRae Subaru Impreza.

After the huge success of last year’s Wales Rally GB it is no surprise to see this year’s event is over subscribed with 72 entries in the International and 88 in the National Rally.

With both the driver’s title and manufacturer’s crown already settled, the gloves are off in the Welsh forests as the 2014 World Rally Championship draws to a close.

Twenty-three special stages in some of the best forests in world rallying are on offer after Thursday night’s ceremonial start in Colwyn Bay.

Both Volkswagen drivers Sebastien Ogier, the newly crowned champion, and Jari-Matti Latvala will be wanting to sign off with a victory in Wales, but they won't have it all their own way as British interest is well and truly stirred with Kris Meeke in the factory Citroen DS3 WRC.

Meeke has had a mixed year, but as showed he can take the fight to both Latvala and Ogier and, on home ground with huge British support, the Irishman might just spring a surprise.

Ford’s rising star, Welshman Elfyn Evans, has again turned in some inspired performances on his first full year in the WRC.

The Dolgellau resident will be on home ground on Friday’s opening leg and, like Meeke, he’s more than capable of mixing it at the head of the field.

Popular Polish star Robert Kubica could be making his final appearance in the Lotos Ford Fiesta WRC as he is rumoured to be returning to circuit racing.

The very competitive WRC 2 category sees the title fight going down to the wire with Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah fighting it out with Finn Jari Ketomaa and Estonian Karl Kruda.