Former Subaru driver and world champion Richard Burns is preparing to go head-to-head with deadly rival Colin McCrae in the Network Q Rally of Great Britain, which gets under way on Thursday night in Cardiff.

Monaco-based Scotsman McRae, 34, from Lanark, and former Oxfordshire ace Richard Burns, 31, who lives in Andorra, begin the final round of the FIA World Rally Championship harbouring ambitions of finishing in second in the title race behind championship winner Marcus Gronholm.

McRae (Ford Focus), who won the world crown in 1995 and last year's world champion Burns (Peugeot 206) are separated by just a point.

Four other drivers, though, are also vying for the runners-up spot; Banbury's Subaru World Rally Team's Petter Solberg (Norway), Carlos Sainz (Spain), Gilles Panizzi (France) and Harri Rovenpera (Finland).

A victory for either McRae, Burns or Finland's Juha Kankkunen (Hyundai Accent) would equal Hannu Mikkola's record of four Rally GB wins.

Meanwhile, of the Oxfordshire competitors Martin Rowe, 31, of Aston Le Walls, near Banbury, gets behind the wheel of a Ford Puma 1600 alongside navigator Chris Wood, 39.

Another competitor from the Banbury area, Brian Hardie, 40, of Deddington, is competing as co-driver to Gloucestershire driver Nik Elsmore, 25, in a 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII.

Another Mitsubishi Lancer Evo is being driven by 38-year-old David Senior, of Brackley.

Additionally, David Sutton Motorsport, based at Daventry, is also entering a number of cars in this year's event.

Competitors, including Italy's London-based 125cc, 250cc and 500cc world motorcycle champion Valentino Rossi, former Grand Prix driver Mark Blundell and 2002 British Touring Car Champion James Thompson - each making their World Rally Championship debuts - tackle 17 special stages, the majority on Forestry Commission roads.

Sainz (Ford Focus) and Makinen (Subaru Impreza) are both looking to record their 25th WRC career win.

The capacity 90-car entry includes both professional and amateur crews from 21 different countries on the four-day, 1,023-mile Cardiff-based event - the 58th running of the rally first held in 1932.

This year's event is "all-ticket" which means spectators have to purchase passes in advance if they wish to choose which of the 17 special stages they want to attend.

Three types are available, "event", "day" and individual "stage" passes can be purchased by telephoning 0870 121 2529 or via the Internet (www.networkq.co.uk) using a credit card.