STOKE Heath international rally co-driver Andy Bull is to take to the narrow and twisty stages of North West Spain on Saturday when he tackles the Narron Rally, a round of the Spanish Rally Championship.

Having just put down the phone to a call which told him the deal to compete on seven rounds of this year's World Rally Championship was again delayed -- meaning it will only be possible to do five -- the next call filled that void with an offer to rally with a new driver in Spain.

The rally will see a few firsts for 30-year-old Bull, from Granary Road, Stoke Heath.

It will be his first rally in Spain, first rally in a Subaru Impreza WRC and his first rally with driver Stuart Coupe, from Preston.

Bull said: "Even though I haven't actually competed in Spain before I'm not too concerned by it. I have worked on Spanish rallies before -- just not from inside the car!"

"I haven't even met Stuart yet. In fact, the way our schedules are looking I think I'll be meeting him for the first time at the airport.

Long practice

"We are going out quite early for the one day tarmac rally so we can have a long practice and get to know each other before the rally starts."

The Subaru Impreza WRC they will be guiding down the coastline stages is a special car -- it is believed to be the only Subaru Impreza ever to have won two World Championship Rallies.

The car won in Corsica and on the Acropolis rally in 1998 with none other than Colin McRae at the wheel.

"There was talk of putting the car in a museum because of it's history -- what a waste," Bull said.

"Maybe in a few years time it can be restored, but in the meantime a piece of kit like this deserves to be used."

Stuart has recently upgraded his rally car to this Impreza WRC.

"This is a massive improvement over the old Impreza I had," Stuart said.

"The wider arches and more powerful engine propel it down the narrow lanes like a rocket -- I just have to point it wherever Andy tells me!

"On these stages there is little room for error -- if you go off the road you either hit the cliff or fall into the sea! Because of that, we will be spending three or four days practising and making sure the pace notes are spot on."

"Young Nathan Crewe, who is competing in the BTRDA Championship this year, has been helping me try out a new pace note system before I go to Spain. It's great to get Nathan involved in this sort of activity early in his career. It should help his own performance too." Nathan's season gets underway again at the end of June with the Dukeries Rally in Mansfield.

Andy added: "I'll be returning the favour by cheering him on."