ABERGAVENNY'S very own rally legend, Nicky Grist is pleased to announce that Nicky Grist Motorsport is to become the long term title sponsor for the popular BTRDA round of the Quinton Stages Rally.

The rally will now be known as the Nicky Grist Quinton Stages Rally and will run on July 9 this year.

Having spent the last three years as vice-president to the Quinton Stages Motor Club, Grist is already a very active member of both the rally and the club.

Last year, the BTRDA voted the Quinton Stages Rally The 'Best Rally of 2010' and this year, Grist will work with the club to raise the standard even higher to make the rally one of the highlights to the British Rally calendar.

Grist explained, "There are now a number of events globally that are named after some of my closest fellow competitors, such as Malcolm Wilson, Richard Burns, and, of course, Colin McRae, and I realised that they were all fantastic drivers, but there were no rallies which were aligned with a co-driver."

Grist added, "It seemed appropriate to have one in Wales and I feel very honoured to have my name attached to such a great rally on the British circuit. I am very excited at the future plans we have for the Nicky Grist Quinton Stages."

With Grist's vast experience at WRC level, competing throughout the world, he is able to bring a host of innovative and exciting ideas to the rally, to ensure it not only keeps attracting a healthy entry list, but also brings new excitement to both competitors and spectators.

For 2011 Grist is working with the organising team to make the event into a short, sharp rally incorporating 44 stage miles covering the WRC forest stages of Eypnt but reducing the road miles to only 30.

Since retiring from WRC level competition, Grist has kept in close contact with many of the top competitors in both rally and on track through his retail shop, Nicky Grist Motorsport.

Grist is keen to develop Nicky Grist Quinton Stages as the best national forest rally in the UK.

The Quinton Stages Rally First category is one Grist has been most involved with in over recent years, and is keen to support young and up and coming competitors to hone their skills on some of the stages that are incorporated in the Wales Rally GB.

As a mentor and trainer for Team UK, Grist works tirelessly to support the future of British Rally and is dedicated to keeping the rally scene fresh and inviting for all levels of competition.

"With Crychan stages, Half Way and Route 60. the Quinton Stages incorporates some of the most challenging stages in the Wales Rally GB and I am looking to work with the Quinton Motor Club to make this successful and prestigious rally a must for all rally drivers in the future," enthused Grist.

"Nicky is absolutely bubbling with ideas," explained clerk of the course, Neil Cross. "He is making us think anew about how we approach both planning and running the event.

"We are proud of the accolades that have been heaped upon the Quinton Stages by the BTRDA and competitors alike in recent years, but are keen to move still further forward. Some of Nicky's ideas are taking us into areas that no one has ever thought possible and we plan to incorporate as many of those as we can over the next few years."