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THE highlight of the British rallying calendar is the Wales Rally GB, which takes place this year from 1-3 December.
Welshman Phil Mills will be taking part as co-driver with Norway's Petter Solberg, runner-up in last year's World Rally Championship behind Frenchman Sebastien Loeb.
The 2003 world champion Solberg won in Wales last year to complete a quartet of victories in Mills' home event, but the victory for the Norwegian and his Subaru partner was tarnished by the tragic death of Michael Park, co-driver to Estonia's Markko Martin, who was killed in a crash near Margam on the final leg of the rally.
Park's death was an example of the fine line motorsport competitors tread every time they get into their cars, a fact highlighted again in March this year when Junior WRC co-driver Jorg Bastuck died as a result of injuries sustained in Spain.
The 36-year-old German died after being struck by another car during the Rally of Catalunya while changing a wheel after his Citroen C2, driven by compatriot Aaron Burkart, had left the road.
But despite such tragedies, 42-year-old Mills - who was born in Llanidloes - maintains it is still worth the risk.
 Mills believes he has a good partnership with Solberg. "Percentage wise it's difficult to equate the responsibility," he said. "It's more than just map reading, you have to know about the car and be able to support each other.
"I've been fortunate to team up with Petter and we have enjoyed some good times. We have won the Rally GB four times, and obviously the highlight was the 2003 victory in Wales, when our win clinched the world title.
"To become world champion in your own backyard was something else and made it extra special."
And home is something Mills, who lives in Newtown with partner Helen and two children Sioned and Iwan, doesn't see enough of.
"The only negative of the WRC is that I don't spend as much time with the family as I would like.," he said. "The sport is now a January-December programme. If you're not racing, you're testing. Even Formula One has a three-month break.
"But it's something that needs to be done to stay at the top of your game."
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