With title leader Florian Gonon not including RACMSA Rally of Scotland on his schedule of events this season, Toshi Arai will be one of the favourites to capitalise on the Swiss driver’s absence.
Driving a Yokohama-supported Subaru Impreza R4 STI the Japanese is possibly the most experienced drivers on the entry, and arrives in Scotland on the back of his victory on Rally Hokkaido in his homeland last weekend.
Arai has never competed on the high-speed forest roads in Perthshire and Stirlingshire but is expected to run at the front alongside Australian co-driver Dale Moscatt.
“Toshi is much more at home on gravel and likes fast and flowing stages,” said a team spokesperson. “He had a great result in Hokkaido last week and that will have really got his confidence up.”
To win, Arai will have to overcome strong opposition, which includes his team-mate Fumio Nutahara, David Bogie, who recently added the British title Scottish crown he won earlier in the year in his Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX, Welsh driver Jason Pritchard (Impreza WRX STI) and Italian Ralliart exponent Marco Cavigioli.
Young Finnish star Jarkko Nikara will also be a contender for victory in his Lancer. Arman Smailov, from Kazakhstan is an unknown quantity in his Subaru.