London Rally for Heroes 19th/20th April

With an entry list of almost 80 crews this weekend's inaugural London Rally for Heroes has already exceeded the organiser's expectations and at 18.45hrs on Friday 19th April, Secretary of State for Defence and local MP Philip Hammond will flag the crews away from the Ceremonial Start at Brooklands Museum.

Rally Headquarters opens at Brooklands 10.00hrs, with Documentation and Scrutineering during the day, an ideal opportunity for spectators to catch a glimpse of the rally and also tour the exhibits and displays that form part Brooklands.

On Saturday, the Service Area is located at Rushmoor Arena, Aldershot, which will also host eight spectator-friendly special stages between 07.30hrs and 15.15hrs, four in each direction of the 1.7-mile course. The final two tests of the day, the 1.7-mile Environmental BioTech Brooklands stages, are also open to spectators, starting at 4.30pm, with the rally finish also at the venue.

Rally Director Rick Smith is delighted with the way that the build-up to the event has progressed over the last few weeks: "London Rally for Heroes is going to be a super event and I can't wait; so many people have put so much effort into this, I am overwhelmed by the all-round support for all we are doing. Don't forget, too, that we hope to raise a serious amount of money for Help for Heroes, which is such a good cause: next weekend, Brooklands and the South East is going to be the place to be."

The rally is a qualifying round of two regional championships, as well as RAF MSA and British Army MA championships and in addition to well-known local names on the entry list competitors have come from as far afield at Belgium, Scotland and South Africa.

Modern four-wheel-drive cars will mix it with a host of two-wheel-drives, with historics and Armed Forces Rally Team Land Rovers thrown in for good measure; there is something for everyone.

The International Rally Driver's Club will be well represented at the event and extends its best wishes to event director Rick Smith and his team together with IRDC members that will be competing, for a successful and safe event.

Follow the rally on RallyFM and iRally over the weekend.

18th April, 2013