Autosportfoto

Welsh hero Evans kisk-starts preparations for ‘best ever' Wales Rally GB

Nation's newest sporting star revs up preparations for Wales Rally GB
Britain's 2015 WRC season finale tipped to be the ‘best ever'
Welsh Government and Conwy Council offer enthusiastic support
Busy Brenig launch event sets the scene for thrilling forest action
Media Accreditation closes on 14 October
Fresh from a scene-stealing second-place finish in Corsica, Elfyn Evans returned to home soil in north Wales today (8 October) as the star attraction at a special Wales Rally GB preview event.

Riding the crest of a wave off the back of achieving the best ever result by a Welsh driver in an FIA World Championship motor sport event, Evans joined a cast of fellow rallying luminaries and local dignitaries at a busy Llyn Brenig Visitor Centre on Denbigh Moor. The setting overlooked Brenig reservoir, which will host Wales Rally GB's event-concluding Power Stage next month - the final competitive showdown of the 2015 FIA World Rally Championship.

In addition to talking about his landmark Corsican performance, 26-year-old Evans from nearby Dolgellau offered his thoughts ahead of Wales Rally GB (12-15 November) and thrilled invited media and guests with edge-of-the-seat high-speed passenger rides on a sun-kissed day.

"We've been working hard behind-the-scenes and there's a real feeling that everything is beginning to come together now," acknowledged the M-Sport World Rally Team ace. "Hopefully we can capitalise upon that at Wales Rally GB and continue what has been an amazing run of form for Welsh sport recently.

"It's an absolutely fantastic event and I'm really looking forward to competing so close to home. I genuinely believe we have some of the very best stages in the world. Obviously I want to enjoy the event, but we'll also be pushing for the best result possible and the podium is definitely the goal."

Evans was not the only rallying celebrity in attendance at Llyn Brenig, as he was joined by Hyundai pairing Kevin Abbring and Seb Marshall and promising young homegrown talent in the shape of Osian Pryce and Tom Cave. Others present included legendary former co-driver Phil Mills, multiple downhill mountain bike racing world champion Gee Atherton and VIPs from event partners Hyundai Motor UK, Network Q and GreenThumb.

Underlining the significance of the event to the local economy, Ken Skates AM - Welsh Government Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism - was a prominent attendee, and ahead of a blast through the forest alongside Evans in his potent Ford Fiesta RS WRC, he was quick to draw attention to the current magnificent period for Welsh sporting prowess.

"Bringing this event to north Wales was a masterstroke, and the past two years have been an enormous success," he underlined. "It has gone from strength-to-strength and has really found its home here. We were pleased to announce the extension to our successful partnership with International Motor Sports to support Wales Rally GB for a further three years.

"It's a world-class event that hits the headlines time and again for the very best reasons, and my hope this year is that it will be even bigger and better than ever. Wales Rally GB has developed a strong profile on the World Rally Championship calendar, demonstrating Wales' ability to deliver a wide range of major events. The rally provides an ideal platform to showcase Wales' many assets, including our spectacular scenery, with last year's media coverage estimated to have reached an international audience of 60 million.

"The organisers have worked to widen the appeal of this sport, with developments such as the RallyFest stages proving invaluable in reaching beyond the motor sport enthusiast, attracting new visitors and providing a welcome boost for retailers and accommodation providers at what is a quieter time of year.

"The tourism sector is the second-largest employer in Wales, and the automotive sector brings £3bn to the economy each year. What's more, the value of the relationship between the staging of Wales Rally GB and Wales' Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Industry should not be underestimated and is doing much to raise the profile of this sector internationally. I look forward to seeing the organisers build on previous success and wish them and the competitors well with the 2015 event."

Once again this year, Wales Rally GB will receive the vital support of its official host County, and Conwy County Borough Council Leader Dilwyn Roberts was quick to extol the benefits brought to the region by such a major international sporting event.

"I am very proud of the strong relationship we have forged with Wales Rally GB over the last five years," he remarked. "It's been an absolute pleasure and this prestigious FIA World Rally Championship event has helped to showcase across the world what Conwy County has to offer.

"Beyond the obvious, events provide strength for Conwy's economic driver - our tourism industry. The show itself brings much-needed income to our local businesses, of which we are seeing more thanks to infrastructure demands, and of course the media coverage means Conwy is on the map!"

"Wales Rally GB is 19 stages and 310km of the finest rally stages to be found pretty much anywhere in the world - all to be contested by 160 of the world's best drivers," summarised Ben Taylor, Managing Director of Wales Rally GB.

"It's no wonder anticipation is building, and better yet is that rally fans are getting excited again about British interest following Elfyn's breakthrough result in Corsica and Kris Meeke's maiden WRC victory earlier this year. We'll also be inducting Petter Solberg into the ‘Hall of Fame' and celebrating the 20th anniversary of Colin McRae's WRC title triumph.

"The new Welsh Government deal is fantastic news for us and gives us a platform to build upon here in north Wales - we really couldn't do this without their support and that of Conwy County Borough Council. I must also thank Hyundai - our official car partner for the second year running - Shell as our official lubricants and fuels partner and local company GreenThumb. What's more, we're delighted to welcome an old friend back in the shape of Network Q, who will be supporting the National Rally.

"Ticket sales have been flying through the roof, and it's shaping up to be an absolutely brilliant event. Aside from seeing the cars in action in the forests, there are plenty of free opportunities for people to come and get a taste of what the rally is all about, from the service park to the ceremonial start and remote service zone in Newtown. There's a real buzz and all the ingredients are in-place for a fantastic event - perhaps even the best ever."

With two British drivers to the fore, huge numbers are expected in the legendary Welsh forests in November. Tickets are already selling fast, with large numbers taking advantage of the significant discounts on offer for those booking now.

The four-day World Rally Pass is the all-inclusive ticket for fans. It provides access to all the individual Special Stages as well as Thursday's pre-event Shakedown. It is priced at £99 for adults (or just £1 for accompanied children aged 9-15) and comes with a desirable hard card and lanyard plus an event programme valued at £9.

Forest Passes offer a similar level of flexibility as the World Rally Pass but just for an individual day of the event. Again they include an official programme and can be purchased in advance for just £25 - a considerable saving on Single Stage tickets which will cost £30 on the day. Tickets for the family friendly RallyFest at Chirk Castle are available now for £25 with an even greater discount being offered to families. Full ticket information can be found on the WalesRallyGB.com website.

For further updates, follow Wales Rally GB on Twitter @walesrallygb or join the conversations on Facebook at www.facebook.com/walesrallygb.