Wales Rally GB 2011
On Saturday (4th June 2011) I went to a press conference which was held to announce details of the Wales Rally GB event, being held on the 10th – 13th November 2011. Wales Rally GB is the last of the races held in the World Rally Championship, the highest level of rally racing in the world, and the aim of the organisers is to make it the best.
The stages this year will take in all of Wales, from North to South, beginning at Conwy Castle and finishing in Cardiff Bay, and taking in some of the best forest roads in the world as well as the spectacular military ranges of the Brecon Beacons.
Counsellors from Powys and Conwy councils commented on the inclusion of some traditional stages in the race, the scenery they offer and the challenges they represent for the drivers. They also emphasised the benefits which the race brings to the economy of Wales in terms of tourism, and the fact that the rally allows Wales to be showcased to an enormous audience via television coverage.
Andrew Coe, chief executive of International Motor Sports Ltd, summed up the event by expressing their aim to make it a truly “grand slam event”- making it the largest rally (they aim for 150 cars to race over the four days), and as widely accessible as possible; it covers the length of Wales and is easily accessible to the West of England as well, and welcomes a huge number of drivers, be they professional, amateur, or drivers of modern or historic cars.
They also want to encourage people to go and watch: prices are frozen at 2010 levels, with a ‘kids for a quid’ offer meaning children can get a day pass for a pound (tell your parents!) More ticket information can be found at www.walesrallygb.com.
After the rally launch I spoke to Elfyn Evans, a 22-year-old rally driver and son of the 1996 British champion Gwyndaf Evans, and who could well be a future champion himself. I asked him how he got into rally driving (aside from his dad being champion) and he told me that when he was 17 he built a 1 litre Nissan Micra and raced in Formula 1000 which, although it still requires a lot of money, is probably the cheapest way of getting into the sport.
Since he began there is now a specific Formula 1000 Junior championship as well. Then in 2007, when he was 18, he moved to driving a Ford Fiesta in the ‘Fiesta Sporting Trophy UK’ series and took part in the Wales Rally GB. I asked if he remembered what the weather was like that year, and he replied that it was “horrendous. Not snow and ice like the year after, but torrential rain, there were ruts in the roads with water running through them.”
So, Wales Rally GB can be one of the most challenging rallies of the competition if the weather does what it can here!
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IMAGE: World Rally Pics
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