FORMER British rally champion Shelly Taunt will return to racing this weekend, almost two years after last taking to the track.

The Highworth racer will team up with co-driver and friend Julie Murphy ahead of the Corbeau Seats Clacton and Tendering Rally on Sunday, April 22.

Both Taunt and Murphy will tackle 15 Special Stages spread across the Tendering Peninsula in their Subaru Impreza against 120 other competitors in vehicles ranging from World Rally Cars to the classic M1 & Mk11 Ford Escorts.

Despite some pre-race nerves, Taunt and Murphy admitted they’re hoping everything will fall into place following their substantial time away from the track.

Taunt said: “The competition is going to be really tough, we have had no time to practice or test the car.

“The first stage will be our test stage which isn’t ideal, but we’re hopeful it will all fall into place.

“Our aim is to finish the asphalt event.

This weekend’s event will be the first closed road event held in England despite similar events taking place in nearby Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man.

It will not just help Taunt and Murphy blow off the cobwebs established in the past two years, but also prepare for the upcoming SOL Rally Barbados, also a closed road event.

Between events, Taunt will join ranks with friends Teresa Brooks, Tracey Cheshire, Kirsty Mapplethorpe and Trish Griffiths to complete the Women V Cancer 100k Night Ride.

Starting at Windsor Racecourse on Saturday, May 5, the event will see more than 3,000 women cycle into London – passing all the famous landmarks – before returning to Windsor in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The Girls have been training since the start of the year and are hoping the hundreds of training miles will pay off on the night.

Visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/kirsty-mapplethorpe to pledge your support to the charity effort.