2016 championship runner-up Sam Bilham is looking to go one better this year and he'll also be defending his BTRDA N3 title. Bilham will be co-driven by Cameron Fair and he'll be the first of the ST crews off the start line.
Winchester's Jon Ambler will start his second season of competing in the ST Trophy and he'll be looking to build on the 5th place he got in the championship last year.
Martin Auskerin enjoyed success in the 205 Challenge 10 years ago and he'll be wanting a good result next weekend as he targets a similarly successful season in his Fiesta.
After three years in Rally First Guy Butler has moved up to the ST Trophy for 2017. Jamie Mactavish will be in the co-driver's seat and his experience of deep mud holes when competing on the Safari rally could prove useful in the Lake District forests!
Making the journey from Tobermory on the Isle of Mull will be Alasdair Currie. Currie was the youngest ever driver to start a Nat B rally, having passed his test aged 16 on the Isle of Man and starting the Mull Rally on his 17th birthday.
Tom Easson finished the 2016 championship in great style with second place on the Trackrod and he's aiming to continue the good results this year. Abi Haycock will co-driver, returning to the ST Trophy after navigating for Tim Kirvan-Rodgers last year.
Enniskilllen's Jody McManus will start his second season of rallying at the weekend. His previous experience includes leading a quad bike race the wrong way round the track so hopefully co-driver Jon Armstrong will keep him in the right direction.
Richard Wells started rallying last year and finished his first season with a good result on the Wales Rally GB National event. Before that he competed in motorbike trials and racing.
The DMack ST Trophy crews will face 42 miles of competition in the classic rally stages of the Lake District forests, includes Comb and Grizedale. The event will start from the M-Sport World Rally Team base at Dovenby and the successful crews will finish near Penrith.
Keep up to date on the DMack ST Trophy via www.facebook.com/fiestasttrophy.
Image courtesy Pete Owen
