Matt Edwards will be one of the prime contenders for this year’s Roger Albert Clark Rally after confirming his entry in a Ford Escort Mk2.

Edwards, a three time British Rally champion in recent years, will drive one of the cars owned by Richard Jordan and run by Carr Prep in a serious bid for success on the five-day event, which runs from November 20 to 24.

Edwards has done some coaching work with Jordan over the years and was invited to drive Jordan’s car on the event in a bid to see just how high up the overall order they can finish. There is little doubt that Edwards will be a significant contender for overall victory.

“It’s a Yorkshire project,” admitted Edwards of the Malton-based team run by Nick Carr. “They just wanted to see what I could do in one of Nick’s cars. When the option came up, I thought: ‘Yes, I want to do that.’ I’ve taken a bit of a step back from the other things I’ve been rallying this year, but I’m certainly not hanging up my helmet.”

Edwards last rallied a Ford Escort on gravel a decade ago when he contested the 2015 Trackrod Historic Cup. Since then, he’s competed extensively in R5 and Rally2 cars and has also done a selection of historic events in the Fiat 131 built and run by Rally Sport Developments.

A shakedown run on the Trackrod Historic Cup (September 26-27) showed Edwards’ pace in the car as he finished top two-wheel drive and second overall against a strong historic field.

Now, now he will focus on the Roger Albert Clark Rally, and is using this weekend’s Trackrod Historic Cup as a warm-up. “It’s a tough event with five long days and a lot of night driving,” said Edwards, whose presence adds further quality to this year’s entry.