The rally guide produced for the event -

RALLY NEWS 1968

THIS, the 11th year of partnership between the Midland News Association Ltd., as sponsors, and Wolverhampton & South Staffs. Car Club Ltd., as organisers, with the "Express & Star" British National Rally, sees the event breaking yet new ground in British rallying by combining the best of two worlds: the typical Welsh night rally plus the international touch of Forestry Commission and other special stages in daylight.
Realising that rallying is becoming increasingly expensive, the original sponsors, the publishers of the "Express & Star", have been happy to join with Castrol Ltd. as co-sponsors for 1968 and, we hope, for a longer period.
In the able hands of successive clerks of the course and particularly, in recent years, with Richard Harper at the wheel, the "Express & Star" rally has established an enviable reputation. It has twice won Ecurie Cod Fillet's "Rally of the Year" award.
For most of its life the "Express & Star" rally has been a typical 200 mile night event in Wales. It is largely as such that it earned its high reputation. Last year Richard Harper changed the tune and gave us a day­light event in which competition was confined almost entirely to Forestry Commission special stages.

Both Richard and the club would have liked to repeat that type of event this year, making it better and longer, but the cost has become almost prohibitive. As a result the rally has been arranged in two sections, and although we are giving competitors and spectators the excitement of special stages off the public roads, this section is nothing like so extensive as everyone concerned with the rally would have liked.
As is customary with this event, great care and attention has been paid to public relations along the route. Because of this we are hoping for the 100 per cent goodwill from the Welsh it has been our pleasure to enjoy for many years despite the bad name that rallying is alleged to have earned for itself in that area.
The club has only one regret about this year's event. It may well be the last that Richard Harper will organise for us. He has served notice on us to that effect, and this time, I feel, we shall have to believe he means what he says. But this club is strongly entrenched as a rallying club and, given the continued generous co-operation of our sponsors, we are prepared to promise this will not be the last Castrol-Express & Star.

ROSS S. GILES, President, Wolverhampton & S.S.C.C.

LIST OF DRIVERS

No.	Driver	No.	Driver	No.	Driver	No.	Driver
1	P. B. Hopkirk	31	D. Cowan	61	K. Nay	91	J. Bellamy
2	R. A. Fall	32	B. Bayliss	62	J. Clark	92
3	R. Fidler	33	R. Shiner	63		93
4	C. Malkin	34	J. Dennes	64		94	H. G. Pritchard
5	R. M. Bean	35	J. Preddy	65		95	I. A. B. Priddin
6	J. Bloxham	36	N. Rockey	66	A. F. Pierson	96	G. M. Pearl
7	J. E. Bullough	37	J. Farlow	67	P. A. Russell	97	B. Sefton
8	R. Hill	38	P. Davies	65	Mrs. J. Robinson	98	J. H. Rice
9	A. Rees	39	J. Booth	69	M. L Broome	99	P. Davies
10	C. Sclater	40	E. Hassell	70	C. Fisher	100	J. R. Booth
11	A. King	41	M. Broad	71	D. Hutchings	101	P. Scoltock
12	B. Jackson	42	J. Rhodes	72	G. J. Perkins	102	R. Prior
13	W. D. Sparrow	43	A.E.Goulding	73	M. S. Chance	103	J. B. Egerton
14	A. E. Bengry	44	I. M. Barratt	74		104	D. M. Bone
15	R. Cooper	45	W. G. Watton	75		105
16	R. Lawrence	46	T. E. Rickards	76	T. S. Goodwin	106
17	D. Williams	47	J. A. Webb	77	C. W. Holland	107	K. Lewis
18	M. Hibbert	48	Mrs. E. Barlow	78	J. Roderick	108	A. Roberts
19	A. Allard	49	Flt-Lt. L. Gibson	79	W. Harris	109	B. Murgatroyd
20	K.G.Watkinson	50	R. Purseglove	80	N. Greenwood	110	A. E. Rumney
21	C. M. Grewer	51	J. A. Dawson	81	D. R. Coustick	111	N. S. Jones
22	V. L. Bond	52	J. K. K. Barlow	82	M. Lewis	112	J. R. Young
23	J. Heppenstall	53	K. Dudley	87	W. G. Mawby	113	E. J. Summers
24	L. Cowan	54	W. D. Taylor	84	M. Bamford	114	B. Coathup
25	D. Sutton	55	S. J. Bye	85	J. F. Plant	115	B. A. H. Fawkes­Underwood
26	G.R. Hudson-Evans	56		86	W. E. Dougles	116	G S. Barrell
27	R. J. Wilkinson	57	W. Baguley	87	R. Platt	117	A. A. Brown
28	B. J. Hodgson	58	R. F. Hughes	88	R M. Barton	118	K. P. Cooper
29	J. B. L. Denny	59	R. G. Bennett	59	P. Bates	119	P. Tanswell
30	N. Newton-Mason	60	M. H. Hardiment	90	C. A. Daykin	120	G. Grundy

TWO HUNDRED miles of extremely tight rallying overnight, breakfast, and a total of 20 special sections, timed to the second, contained in a further 200 miles of rally route, make up this year's National British CASTROL-EXPRESS & STAR RALLY.
This event traditionally brings together the very best of rally crews in the British Isles. It has become a common ground, where professional meets top-class amateur on the latter's ground. The entry list for 1968 contains many very well-known names, from both sides of this fence. Paddy Hopkirk and Tony Fall need no introduction to motor sport enthusiasts, and further down the list there are, for instance, Jimmy Bullough, last year's British Champion; Colin Malkin, who seems to be running away with everything this year in a monstrously quick Imp; Eric Jackson, whose experience of trans-Continental exercises is unique. His latest exploit, you may remember, was to race a Union Castle liner from South Africa to England, Eric and his co-driver in a Corsair. He, of course, is one of several of our crews who are competing, in December, in the London to Sydney marathon. John Preddy (No. 35) and Bill Bengry (14) are others. Bill's experience of international rallying embraces many Continents and must be a very good bet to be one of the few to get eventually to Australia.
Many of these crews have claims to fame, and it is impossible to mention them all. Be assured, however, that here we have a top-class list of very skilled drivers and navigators who have proved their skills in events all over the British Isles.
With the generous and knowledgeable support of CASTROL LIMITED and the EXPRESS & STAR we hope sincerely that every spectator will enjoy the rally as much as we hope we shall.

RICHARD J. HARPER, Clerk of the Course.

KEEP WALES GREEN

THE worst danger to the beautiful forests of Wales is not inclement weather, nor animals, insects, or fungal diseases, but the fires that are caused so easily by anybody's neglect. In a matter of minutes a forest fire can change a glorious green hillside into a blackened ruin, involving a loss to the nation of many thousands of pounds.
Much depends on the ordinary citizen who, by using especial care with matches, tobacco, or fire in any form, anywhere near woodlands, can ensure that no blaze ever starts or spreads beyond control. If you do see such a fire-other than one obviously looked after by a gang of workers - do make it your business to report it at once. Dial 999, and the police will promptly alert foresters and fire brigades.