By Paul Evans

It’s taken nine months to repair his Subaru Impreza WRC, but now multiple Welsh Tarmacadam Champion Bob Fowden is set to return to competition on the Rallynuts of Redditch Tour of Epynt on Sunday 10 March.

The Llanelli driver’s 40th year in rallying went off with a bang last season, but not in the way he was hoping – as a broken exhaust manifold on last May’s Manx National Rally caused an under bonnet blaze that badly damaged his Comline Auto Parts-backed WRC S11.

Fowden and Den Golding (who was co-driving for him on the Isle of Man event) escaped uninjured, but the ex-Petter Solberg car was severely damaged.

But now, after a painstaking rebuild, Fowden will return to competition in the car on Epynt – the scene of many of his hard-charging victories and a venue he’s been a regular high-flying visitor to since 1978.

He’ll be co-driven by the hugely experienced Aled Davies from Swansea.

“With such extensive fire damage to the car we have had to replace huge amounts of equipment on it, have the engine fully rebuilt, along with the wiring and electronics systems, and of course have the bodywork repainted and sponsors colour schemes and logos integrated,” said Fowden.

“The work is now completed, just the final running checks and set-up to get everything on song.

“Epynt is a stern test to open the competition year, but it’s a place both Aled and I know well, so although the pace will be high given the quality of the entry, we’ll be out there fighting.”

Organised by Port Talbot Motor Club, the Tour of Epynt is the opening round of a number of major championships, including the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship, JD Tyres Welsh National Tarmacadam Championship, the Promotive Engineering King of Epynt Challenge, the FMP Rally Challenge, the ANWCC Stage Rally Championship and The Fuchs Lubricants Classic Mini Challenge.