Closed Roads Pave The Way For New Wales Rally GB Route

The organisers of Wales Rally GB have promised to take “full advantage” of the new closed road legislation, which came into force in Wales earlier this year, to create an exciting new-look route for this year’s event (4-7 October), with a shift of focus to the forests and venues of north Wales. A change in the law, which allows local authorities to suspend the Road Traffic Act for authorised motorsport events without requiring individual Acts of Parliament, came into force in Wales on 2 February this year. This won’t see long stretches of the A470 closed for rally cars to blast along, but it will see small sections of B roads closed, possibly joining forest stages such as Penmachno South and Penmachno North, and Dyfi and Gartheiniog, to make longer and more challenging speed tests. “Wales has some of the best driving roads in Europe and this initiative will provide the perfect platform to showcase the very best of the Welsh countryside,” said the 2017 Wales Rally GB winner Elfyn Evans at the time of the closed road announcement. “With the success of events like Wales Rally GB, Welsh motorsport is very much on the up and this will only encourage even more visitors to our region.”

By Paul Evans

The organisers of Wales Rally GB have promised to take “full advantage” of the new closed road legislation, which came into force in Wales earlier this year, to create an exciting new-look route for this year’s event (4-7 October), with a shift of focus to the forests and venues of north Wales.

A change in the law, which allows local authorities to suspend the Road Traffic Act for authorised motorsport events without requiring individual Acts of Parliament, came into force in Wales on 2 February this year. This won’t see long stretches of the A470 closed for rally cars to blast along, but it will see small sections of B roads closed, possibly joining forest stages such as Penmachno South and Penmachno North, and Dyfi and Gartheiniog, to make longer and more challenging speed tests.

“Wales has some of the best driving roads in Europe and this initiative will provide the perfect platform to showcase the very best of the Welsh countryside,” said the 2017 Wales Rally GB winner Elfyn Evans at the time of the closed road announcement. “With the success of events like Wales Rally GB, Welsh motorsport is very much on the up and this will only encourage even more visitors to our region.”

The final detailed competitive route for this year’s Wales Rally GB, which is Britain’s round of the FIA World Rally Championship, won’t be announced until mid-April, but we can tell you that it will start, once again, will an opening stage at Tir Prince on Thursday evening (4 October). Friday will feature stages mainly in Conwy, while Saturday will head south and into mid-Wales – an area filled with equally classic forest stages, including Sweet Lamb, Hafren and Myherin. The final leg will take place back in north Wales on Sunday (7 October) and finished with a new, bonus-points scoring, Power Stage venue.

“We are taking full advantage of this new legislation to deliver a fresh take on this thrilling event,” enthused Ben Taylor, Managing Director of Dayinsure Wales Rally GB.

“The new WRC cars and Elfyn Evans’ historic victory brought us record crowds last year and we are expecting even bigger numbers in October. Shifting the focus to north Wales is not only closer to cities such as Liverpool and Manchester but it also allows us to challenge the crews with some spectacular special stages that have never before been included on this rally.

“We won’t announce the final route until the middle of April, when tickets go on sale, but we know lots of people are already making their plans and booking hotels and other accommodation in the region, so it’s only right that we share the changes with them.”

“We’re thrilled to once again be Host County for this prestigious World Championship event,” adds Councillor Louise Emery, Conwy County Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development. “Even more so as the changes in the law by the Welsh Government is to the advantage of both visitors and competitors, so we’re very excited about this year’s itinerary. Developments highlight commitments within our Events Strategy 2018-2022, and further underline that Conwy County is the right environment for great events.”

This year’s Wales Rally GB will also include a lengthened National Rally, with 85 stage miles on the Friday and Saturday. The event will also host the final round of the 2018 Prestone MSA British Rally Championship.

Last year’s Wales Rally GB attracted 103,438 visitors, a record since the rally moved to north Wales in 2013, and delivered £9.4M of economic benefit to the country.