Kielder shakedown for BRC opener

The wait is over! Five months off is a long time to think about a new championship season, but here we are.

The drive up to Kielder forest always signals the start of the rallying year in Britain with myself and the Mitsubishi team undertaking our pre-event test and what a drive it is.

Beautiful scenery line the road as the my mind fills with anticipation of the year ahead on my way to meet the team - Phil (Pugh) and my new team-mates for a pre-season meal on the eve of the test.

Day One and the sun is shinning intermittently as we head on to the test road. Myself and Phil are having a slightly late start as our car has been under pressure to be finished back in the workshop.

Nevertheless, we are up and running just after lunch and keen to make the most of the day and in the meantime have made our pace notes for the stage. We make steady progress and the road is good.

It's slightly loose on top but a hard base underneath as a clean line appears and as a constant reminder to keep the mind focused the notorious ditches are always in sight!!

It's always difficult to find a huge change when testing a Group N car. It's more lots of small changes that will give you a benefit in making the car quicker, so myself and the engineer have already made a schedule to work through.

At the end of the day some lucky guests, ranging from sponsors to charity auction prize winners.... and my 'team manager' (he's just checking my progress), are given a high-speed ride through the stage. It's great for people to be able to sit in and get the experience first hand.

Test complete and it's time for the drivers to take some time out - so we all head to the sauna and pool!

Day two and the weather is distinctly closing in. A bright journey to a new road just north of Kielder village is soon dampened on arrival to the stage! Engine and damper work were the main priorities for day one so day two is all about...other stuff!! (top secret)

Mileage is the key and checking our setting from yesterday on slightly different terrain and surface with the added advantage of a wet road as well. The day starts well but by lunch the road is starting to degrade fast with the help of some heavy downpours and the increased running intensity of the cars through the stage.

Soon deep ruts are starting to appear as I've being using the ditches in places to get extra lateral grip as I'm pushing hard all morning to really test the car. It is after all only one day old! By mid afternoon everybody is happy, drivers, engineer, even the mechanics as they've watched their last four weeks of hard work be pushed to the max on gravel only hours after being completed!

Lights, Camera, Action...The local news have turned up!!! They've come to see me I'm told! They've been told that a local British champion is in the forest today testing to defend his crown.

I can't wait to see how it comes over on TV. They were really pro-active with in-car, on-stage footage, interviews - the lot!! It's always great to get rallying on the local news especially when I'm surrounded by three Premiership teams in the North East.

So a big thank you to TyneTees Television for making such an effort, the 'boys' for putting in the hard hours to get the cars there and everybody else in the team - including you Blunkett, you big power lifter! Less than a week to go now to make all the effort pay off. BRING IT ON!!!!!

Guy