Bill Richards hopes to make the most of nighttime stages when he can’t see the cliff edge as he competes in his seventh Monte Carlo Historique Rally this week.

The veteran Ashford racing driver, 65, will head to the French Alps with new co-driver Graham Carter today (Thursday).

Richards will pilot his Mk1 Mini Cooper S from 1964 in the event, which involves a number of stages over narrow mountain passes.

The renowned engineer said: “There’s a saying with the historic rally drivers who do this event that if you go off, your clothes go out of fashion before you hit the ground.

“I am not fazed by it – the majority of stages are in the dark and I am only fazed when I can see the drop!

“The only thing that worries me is that the stages are more like goat tracks and if you catch a slower car, the chances of getting past are very slim.

“It’s all over mountain passes with a long, long drop – we have seen accidents you wouldn’t believe.”

Richards – who prepares the Mini at his Ellingham Industrial Estate base – will take mechanics John Griffin and Paul Upson across the Channel.

He will be sponsored by the Minispares company, with support from Millers Oils.

Richards added: “I aim just to finish.#

“Whatever happens on this type of event, if you crash or come off, the PR stops and my main thing is to keep the sponsors happy.

“I feel at home doing this event and I feel honoured and privileged to be invited to do it.

“The key to the Monte is similar to the circuit racing; finish all the stages like scoring points in every race.

“I think that philosophy is going to put us in good stead.”

Richards, who said he would be pleased with a top-50 finish, was on course for a strong result last year before ignition coil failure wrecked his chances.

His new navigator for 2016, Graham Carter, has a number of rallies under his belt.

Richards added: “Graham feels at home with our team and he can’t not be.

“We are amateurs in a seriously professional rally, but having said that we make a good account of ourselves bearing in mind this is a truly brutal event.”