For three and a half days, starting on Thursday evening, crews in cars from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s will contest one of the major events in the UK classic rallying calendar.

The annual Rally of the Tests is a must-do event on the ever-growing schedule of classic rallies. This is the event that re-creates the flavour of the RAC Rally before it became a forest-based special stage rally in the early 1960s.

The results for the modern day event are based on crews’ performances in three types of challenge. The special tests on private ground are a test of speed and agility against the clock, while regularity sections test the ability of the crew to maintain a very precise average speed over a given section of public road. The sting in the tail are the time control sections, run in the evenings and giving crews a taste of period road rallies with testing navigation.

The entry takes in most of the big names in classic rallying and incorporates the final of the FIA Trophy for Historic Regularity Rallies. Luxemburg driver Christian Crucifix (1960 Alfa Romeo Giulietta) is favourite to take the title and starts the event leading Paolo Marcattilij by 25 points.

After a prologue section from the start in Hexham, Northumberland, on Thursday evening, competitors tackle a full day in the Scottish borders on Friday to an overnight halt in Dumfries. Through a long and tough day, crews will cover more than 250 miles and will compete over iconic sections from RAC Rally history. From a 7.30am start, the first crew is scheduled to arrive in at Dumfries at 8pm after taking in eight special tests, five regularity sections and a time control section.

Saturday takes crews east to Darlington via a further nine special tests and five regularity sections before a fearsome time control section in the evening where the rally could be won or lost.

After an overnight halt in Darlington, the final day runs across the Pennines to the finish in Blackpool on Sunday afternoon where a black-tie dinner will await the weary finishers.

Over 70 crews include leading European entries like 2014 winner Paul Wignall (Alfa Romeo Giulietta), Howard Warren (Porsche 356), Roger Powley (Porsche 911), Kevin Haselden (Mini Cooper), Jan Ebus (Porsche 356), Robin Eyre-Maunsell (Ford Escort), Frank Fennell (Alfa Romeo Giulia) and Dermot Carnegie (Volvo PV544).