CRAIG Drew jetted out to Vermont earlier this week to meet his new Subaru USA team-mates and conduct tests with driver David Higgins, ahead of the opening round of the American Series.
Bream-based co-driver Craig, 27, will team up with David Higgins on the 2011 Rally America National Championship.
Higgins, who has been American champion twice, will form a two car team run by Vermont Sports Cars with BMX legend David Mirra.
Tests will be done on snow and ice (the first competitive event is the Sno-Drift Rally on January 28 and 29).
They will then do a gravel test in the new car before arriving back at Heathrow late on Sunday night. Craig said: "I'm really looking forward to getting started, meeting the team and having a look at the workshops and set-up.
"We have two separate tests over two days, so it's important for David and myself to get a good feeling with the car and spend some time getting valuable miles together.
"We also need to get the set-up right for the Sno-Drift Rally.
"We face some strong opposition this year so it's important to get off to a good start."
* ENTRIES are flowing in for the 2011 Team GMF Wyedean Forest Rally.
The event, now in its 35th year, will take place on Saturday February 12 from Chepstow Racecourse.
The Forest of Dean Motor Club is hoping for a top quality entry, but chairman Paul Willetts realises money within motorsport is now very tight.
He said: "I think it is going to be a difficult year for event organisers but we pride ourselves on a quality event. Because we only use one stage twice our forestry costs are possibly the highest in the BTRDA and Welsh Series. It would have been easy for us to run three stages twice to cut our forestry costs but that wouldn't be fair on the competitors.
"We will look at other ways of saving money and giving people a first class event."