Engines are being fine-tuned, drivers are revving themselves up, and the Malcolm Wilson Rally is ready to roar into action tomorrow.

Starting at M-Sport's base at Dovenby Hall, the event will see some of the country’s fastest off-road aces race for supremacy.

Signs are promising that this will be the biggest entry for the event for a number of years with around 150 cars expected.

The opening three stages are at Whinlatter, beginning with Hobcarton at 7.28am, before going on to Comb and then Wythop.

The rally also takes in stages in Greystoke and Grizedale before finishing at The Hired Lad, Penrith Auction just after 2.30pm.

Among the drivers will be plenty of local faces with West Cumbrians behind the wheel and navigating.

Andrew Wheatley and Heather Grizedale will go off at car 113 in their Ford Puma while Andrew and Reg Irving follow in their Peugeot 205 at car 121.

Just four cars later we will see David Jackson and Guy Gladwin begin their event in their Ford Ka.

The 42nd running of the Malcolm Wilson Rally has attracted a bumper field looking to follow last year’s winner Charlie Payne into the record books.

Among them are 2013 and 2015 winner Euan Thorburn, looking for a hat-trick of success, 2012 champion Hugh Hunter and 2008 winner David Bogie.

Stephen Petch and Michael Wilkinson, who won the Grizedale Stages Rally in November over some of the same tracks, will hope to follow up for a double success.

The opening cars will be twice winner Bob Green and former Myerscough college student Alex Laffey.

The event was to be the second round of the national British Trial and Rally Drivers Association Series (BTRDA), but with the heavy overnight snowfall onto compact ice in the Welsh Forests last month, the event was cancelled and so this is the first chance for many crews to get back to competition after the winter upgrades.

Spectators are asked to follow the signs and park sensibly keeping clear of the grass verges by using the designated car parks.

There are spectator areas laid out in each stage for the safety of people wanting to watch, failure to use these could mean the stages will be delayed or cancelled.

Go to www.malcolmwilson.co.uk for more spectator information.

Stages: SS1: Whinlatter - Hobcarton, starting 7.28am, stage length 2.55 mins. SS2: Whinlatter - Comb, 7.41am, 5.09. SS3: Whinlatter - Wythop, 8.11am, 3.22. SS4: Greystoke - Greystoke 1, 9.06am, 6.47. Service: Penrith Truckstop, 9.36am. SS5: Grizedale - Grizedale North, 11.04am, 7.67. SS6: Grizedale - Grizedale South, 11.37am, 9.84. Service: Penrith Truckstop, 1.18pm. SS7: Greystoke - Greystoke 2, 2.06pm, 5.60. Finish: The Hired Lad - Penrith Auction 2.38pm.