RALLY ace Neil Simpson has clinched a deal to lead Volkswagen's attack on the British Championship this year.

The talented 28-year old will drive a specially developed Polo GTi in the new Formula Rally series, which features eight one-day events in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

"This is a brilliant opportunity for me to drive a new car in a new championship, and help Volkswagen develop the Polo into a rally winner. It's going to be challenging season, but I am more than ready for it," said Simpson, who lives in Trawden, near Colne.

Acknowledged as one of the most talented young drivers on the British rally scene, Simpson and co-driver Mike Gibson, from Northern Ireland, enjoyed an outstanding 2000 season his privately-run Mitsubishi Lancer , winning the group N 'showroom' class on the Jim Clark Memorial Rally before claiming second overall on the Manx International.

Those performances attracted the attention of Volkswagen Racing UK, who signed the pair on a one-year contract.

"Neil is a star of the future. He impressed everyone in rallying last year and we are very lucky to have him on board for the coming year," said Sam Roach, managing director of Volkswagen Racing.

Future development of the car, designed and built in Germany, will be undertaken at the team's Northampton base, under the direction of Roach and team boss Steve Bagnall, and Simpson has already sampled its power in testing.

"The Polo GTi is fundamentally a very promising package and it has rally-winning potential. With a new car, new driver and new squad running the operation, 2001 is going to be very demanding, but I am optimistic we can get the right results," he said.

Their first competitive outing will be the opening round of the series, the Wrexham Rally, on March 10.