NORTH Yorkshire drivers are geared up for the Network Q Rally of Great Britain which starts in Wales tomorrow.

York-born professional Simon Redhead, 32, a former Subaru Shield winner in the British championships, will be at the helm of his Subaru Impreza having his sixth crack at the GB rally.

Redhead, who now lives in Oxfordshire, will be partnered by Alan Thomas, while experienced Pocklington co-driver Craig Thorley, 41, a motorsport travel agent, will again be involved at the rally, this time reading the maps for Subaru driver David Higgins.

Northallerton will be represented by Mitsubishi driver Peter Stephenson and co-drivers Larry Carter, partnering Paul Bird in a Subaru, and John Richardson, partnering Richmond's Steve Petch in a Hyundai Accent, while Ripon driver Charlie Payne will compete in a Mitsubishi.

Selby speedster Alistair Ginley, 23, will be hoping to follow up a recent success in Wales as he returns to the Principality for the biggest event in Britain's rally calendar.

He heads back to the Welsh roads just three weeks after winning his category, group N4, at the Bulldog Rally held nearby.

"That was a shakedown rally for the Network Q," said Ginley, who made his Network Q debut last year.

"We won that in our group and were fifth overall, and I'm now going to try to win Group N at the Network Q Rally.

"I'm really looking forward to it. It's the last rally of the year, you're on home soil and it's always the big one."

"Everybody always looks forward to this rally, and it should be particularly good this year as three drivers can actually win the championship," added Ginley.

The main feature will be the battle for the drivers' world title in which Britons Colin McRae and triple Network Q winner Richard Burns as well as Finland's Tommi Makinen and Spain's Carlos Sainz have the chance to win the title at this final round.

The Network Q Rally, based in Cardiff and held on 240 miles of roads across the forests of south and central Wales, will finish on Sunday,

Burns goes into the final round trailing McRae by two points and four-time champion Makinen by one - whoever emerges triumphant from the Welsh forests will be crowned champion - with Sainz seven points further back.

Burns believes future team-mate Marcus Gronholm - who clinched the title with a comfortable second place behind Burns in last year's event - is the potential dangerman.

"Marcus was very fast when he won in Australia earlier this month and fast last year, faster than he needed be," said the 30-year-old, who will join the Finn's Peugeot outfit next season.

"Marcus will be more of a threat than we realise because he's got a lot less pressure as well. He's got to score points for the manufacturers' title but in the whole big scheme of things that isn't the biggest pressure in the world."

Updated: 12:08 Wednesday, November 21, 2001