AFTER the huge success of last year's Wales Rally GB, it's no surprise to see this years event is over-subscribed, with a maximum 160-car entry - 72 entries in the International and 88 in the three-day National rally.

The gloves are off in the Welsh forests, as the 2014 World Rally Championship draws to a close with 23 special stages in some of the best forests in world rallying on offer after Thursday night's ceremonial start in Colwyn Bay.

Both Volkswagen drivers Sebastian Ogier and Jari Mati Latvala will be wanting to sign off with a victory in Wales, but they won't have it all their own way as British interest is well and truly stirred, with Kris Meeke in the factory Citroen DS3 WRC.

Ford's rising star Welshman Elfyn Evans has again turned in some inspired performances on his first full year in the WRC.

The Dolgellau resident will be on home ground on Friday's opening leg.

Evans' team mate Mikko Hirvonen could well be his final drive for the blue oval team, so the Finn will be looking to impress.

Another rumoured to be on his final outing, is Citroen's Mads Ostberg who has had a poor year by his high standards.

Shell Oil's Hyundai team have had a fantastic first year on their return to the WRC.

Thierry Neuville will be looking for victory to finish the year on a high, in the i20WRC.

Estonian Ott Tanak steps up from his WRC 2 campaign to take the wheel of a DMack backed Fiesta WRC and is strongly rumoured to be replacing the out going Hirvonen at Ford.

Polish star Robert Kubica is another who could be making his final appearance in the Lotus Ford Fiesta WRC.

The very competitive WRC 2 category sees the title-fight going down to the wire ,with Qatar's Nasser Al Attiyah fighting it out with Finn Jari Ketomaa and Estonian Karl Kruda.

The WRC 2 category is full of quality throughout with a returning Matthew Wilson in a Fiesta RRC, Lorenzo Bertelli, Bernardo Sousa, Yurly Protasov, Valeriy Gorban, Nicholas Fuchs and Martin Kangur, but they will have a fight on their hands from home-grown talent of Tom Cave and Osian Pryce who both step up to Fiesta R5s.

Local interest in the International surrounds the Fiesta ST of Sacha Kakad and Andrew Price in the Westbase backed car.

The duo have dominated class N3 in the BTRDA series this year,and have stepped up from last year's National rally to tackle the full event.

The quality continues in the National Rally with a host of potential winners lining the entry and 13 tests over the three days totalling just under 100 competitive miles.

David Stokes and co-driver Guy Weaver will be looking to repeat last years top-10 finish and top 2wd in the Draycott Bakeries/Ashmores backed Escort RS1600.

Jason Morgan and Adie Williams will be looking to put the Winner Garage Lancer Evo 6 in to the top 10 come Sunday afternoon.

GB veterans Jimmy McRae and Yate-based Pauline Gullick line up in the fabulous Vauxhall Firenza, both McRae and Gullick,s history of this event go,s back to the halycon days of the mid-seventies.

BTRDA champion Steve Perez with veteran co-driver Paul Spooner in the hot seat, wheels out the awesome-sounding Lancia Stratos while Scott Partridge and Chris Ridge line up in the ex Alistair McRae Subaru Impreza.

For further information and ticket prices go to walesrallygb.com