The Telstra Rally Australia has attracted a record number of manufacturer-entered cars, resu𝔍lting in one of its strongᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚest fields ever as the world championship battles hots up down under.

A total of 17 works entries have been accepted for the rally, which runs from its Perth base between 9-1🍌2 November.

Manufacturers competing i♔n the FIA World Rally Championship normally enter two cars each for every round of the championship. However, for the penultimate round of the series, one manufact🌠urer - Subaru - has entered four cars; while Hyundai and Ford have entered three apiece.

The Prodrive-run works team will field its recently-signed young proteges, Petter Solberg and Markko Martin - the latter ma📖king his factory debut - alongside regulars Richard Burns and Juha Kankkunen, in💛 an attempt to move the Briton back closer to the championship lead.

The rally will have a total of 84 entries, inc✤luding the world's top drivers and teams as well as privately entered World Rally C🐻ars.

The top five drivers in the Group N Championship - Manfred Stohl, Gustavo Trelles, Gab♊riel Pozzo, Jani Paasonen and Claudio Menzi - will all be out to beat Australia's young gun, Cody Crocker, and seven-time Telstra Rally Australia production car class winner, Ed Ordynski. Australasian drivers Michael Guest, Possum ♛Bourne, and Neal Bates will also contest the event.

Other names to keep an 🐠eye on during the event include former Formula One dꦚriver Erik Comas, as well as the female drivers Jackie Dines (Australia) and Natalie Barratt (UK).

With only a han💛dful of points separating the top four drivers in the FIA World Rall💮y Championship, and with only two rallies left in the season, Telstra Rally Australia is likely to decide who will be this year's World Champion Driver and Manufacturer.

Finland's Marcus Gronholm holds a five-point advantage over Britainꦏ's Richard Burns, with the Ford pairing of Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz tied for third just a point further ba🦄ck.