MOTOR racing fans from all over the country will descend on Llandudno this week as the town serves as the starting point for this year’s Wales Rally GB.
In celebration of the 80th anniversary of the first Rally of Great Britain, organisers have chosen to return to Llandudno for the ceremonial start of the annual race, to be held on tomorrow (September 13).
As well as providing the opening stages of the race, Llandudno will play host to a variety of activities for all spectators, old and young, including a display of legendary rally cars and a free-of-charge funfair.
Among the cars on show will be the Stig Blomqvist 1982 Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, the Kenneth Eriksson 1986 Lancia Delta S4 and the Colin McRae 2001 Ford Focus WRC.
Before the official start of the race, all of the leading World Rally Championship (WRC) crews will attend an autograph-signing session at Venue Cymru between 5.30pm and 6. Entry is again free-of-charge and on a first come first served basis.
The racers will then be presented to the public from the starting podium, where they will declare their preferred starting position ahead of the start of the race from 7pm.
The cars will be held in Llandudno overnight, when they will be kept under ‘parc fermé’ (closed park) conditions ahead of the first stage of the race at the classic Dyfnant course in mid-Wales the next day.
The race will take in several courses across Wales between Friday and Sunday, culminating in Cardiff on Sunday afternoon.
Llandudno also played host to the start of the Wales Rally GB last year, when the racers followed a route around the Great Orme’s challenging Marine Drive.
Cllr Graham Rees of Conwy County Borough Council said: “We’re delighted to welcome Wales Rally GB back to North Wales. Llandudno has really pulled out all the stops in starting this celebratory Rally in style.
“The collection of cars that will line the promenade is sure to be impressive and I am so happy to see that it will be open to all, free of charge.”