The MG ZR Rally Scholarship is the result of an inspired collaboration between Motorsport in the Midlands in association with Advantage West Midlands and the East Midlands Development Agency and MG Rover.

Lichfield Mercury and Tamworth Herald readers were the first to be invited to fill in a questionnaire in the newspaper. Fifteen per cent of the entries were from females. Of the correct entries, the list of hopefuls was whittled down to 20 by a panel of judges including Scholarship mastermind Peter Young of Creative Media Communications of Nuneaton.

The whole process will be repeated with nine more Midland newspapers based in Nuneaton, Northampton, Leicester, Peterborough, Worcester, Banbury, Hereford, Coventry and Stafford. By autumn this year from 200 first round winners, 10 will be selected to compete in a series of rallies throughout the UK.

They will all drive MG ZR 105 1.4 litre Gp N rally cars prepared by MG Sport and Racing at Longbridge which will include built in roll cages, full race harnesses, fire extinguishers, sump and tank guards, competition brakes and suspension. They will be accompanied by experienced rally co-drivers throughout the series.

Points will be awarded on results and, in a novel twist, will also be deducted for damage to the cars.

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