ELFYN Evans has high hopes of challenging for glory, as the FIA World Rally Championship rolls into the forests of mid and north Wales for the 2017 edition of Dayinsure Wales Rally GB.

The 28 year-old Welsh star, from Dolgellau, set the pace in front of huge crowds on Thursday morning’s Shakedown through Clocaenog forest.

Evans went more than a second a mile faster than anybody through the test, posting a time of 1m 58.1s for the 2.06-mile stage, and was 2.3 seconds faster than second quickest man, Hyundai driver Dani Sordo.

Evans and Dan Barritt's Ford Fiesta WRC is fitted with a DMACK tyre specifically made and tailored to the cooler and wetter conditions, and have the potential to give him an edge on an event that no Brit has won since the late Richard Burns 17 years ago.

“I’m trying not to feel any pressure,” said Evans. “This is my home rally and I want to enjoy it. We will focus on ourselves and do the best possible job we can. This is a long, tough rally and we need to get through it stage-by-stage.

“For sure, there will be sections on stages which are very, very slippery. We might see some of the stages drying out on the long loop on Saturday - who knows what they’ll look like.

"We’re not taking anything for granted, but we’re here to aim for the win.”

Evans has had his most successful WRC season, finishing second in both Argentina and Finland.

"We are definitely going to be giving it our all. There are so many things that have to go your way to win a World Championship round and there is nothing guaranteed," added Evans.

"The expectation myself and Dan put on ourselves on every rally is very high anyway, so nothing really changes from an expectation side of things in the way we feel going into the event.

"Certainly the buzz and atmosphere around the event makes it special. It is great to have the home support."

Thousands of enthusiastic fans packed Tir Prince Raceway in County Conwy last night (Thursday), as the WRC stars and cars lit up the night skies for the spectacular speed test.

Frenchman Sébastien Ogier – who is gunning for a record-breaking fifth victory in Wales, and with it a fifth WRC Drivers’ crown – was fastest on what looks likely to be a historic weekend for his British employer M-Sport, with his team-mate and home hero Elfyn Evans just over a second behind in fifth.

The WRC teams returned to their overnight halt at the Deeside Rally Village, ahead of an early start today (Friday) for six classic special stages in mid-Wales.

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