Wales Rally GB curtain-raiser lights up Conwy

Thousands of Rally fans packed Tir Prince Raceway in Conwy this evening, as the FIA World Rally Championship stars and cars lit up the night skies with a spectacular start to the 2017 edition of Dayinsure Wales Rally GB.

The eagerly-anticipated event – the penultimate round on the WRC calendar – burst into life with the Visit Conwy Tir Prince speed test, as a series of jumps and flames under the floodlights.

“Tir Prince Raceway provided a show-stopping backdrop for the curtain-raiser to what promises to be a truly epic Dayinsure Wales Rally GB,” said event Managing Director, Ben Taylor.

“It was wonderful to see so many people flock to what is a new venue for our round of the World Rally Championship, and the drivers and co-drivers unquestionably made it worth their while with popular autograph and selfie sessions and a brilliant display of sideways slides – and there will be plenty more where that came from over the coming days!”

Frenchman Sébastien Ogier – who is gunning for a record-breaking fifth victory in Wales and with it a fifth WRC Drivers’ crown – was fastest on what looks likely to be a historic weekend for his British employer M-Sport, with his team-mate and home hero Elfyn Evans just over a second behind in fifth.

The Welshman – who hails from Dolgellau – has high hopes of challenging for glory this weekend, after setting the pace in front of huge crowds on the morning’s Shakedown through Clocaenog forest. Evans’ DMACK tyres have the potential to give him an edge on an event that no Brit has won since the late Richard Burns 17 years ago.

“I’m trying not to feel any pressure,” the 28-year-old said. “This is my home rally and I want to enjoy it. We will focus on ourselves and do the best possible job we can. This is a long, tough rally and we need to get through it stage-by-stage.

“For sure, there will be sections on stages which are very, very slippery. We might see some of the stages drying out on the long loop on Saturday… who knows what they’ll look like. We’re not taking anything for granted, but we’re here to aim for the win.”

The WRC teams have now returned to their overnight halt at the Deeside Rally Village, ahead of an early start tomorrow for six classic special stages in mid-Wales.

2017 Dayinsure Wales Rally GB after 1 of 23 Special Stages

1. Sebastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia – Ford Fiesta WRC 1m 09.7s
2. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila – Toyota Yaris WRC +0.4s
3. Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul – Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +0.5s
4. Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja – Ford Fiesta WRC +0.6s
5. Elfyn Evans/Daniel Barritt – Ford Fiesta WRC +1.1s
= Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jaeger – Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +1.1s
7. Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm – Toyota Yaris WRC +1.2s
= Dani Sordo/Marc Martí – Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +1.2s
9. Craig Breen/Scott Martin – Citroën C3 WRC +1.3s
= Juho Hänninen/Kaj Lindström – Toyota Yaris WRC +1.3s

Friday sees the drivers leave Deeside at 7.15am for the start of the  The Myherin stage which will start with the same route as last year but will then change onto a new section of road.

Sweet Lamb and Hafren stages will be identical to 2016.

Between the two visits to these stages there will be a regroup and tyre & light fitting zone in Newtown.

At the end of the day there will again be a short halt in Chester city centre for autograph signing and allowing the fans to get close to the stars and their cars.

Friday 27 October
07:15 — Depart – Deeside Rally Village
10:20 — Myherin 1 (Stage 2)
11:00 — Sweet Lamb 1 (Stage 3)
11:15 — Hafren 1 (Stage 4)
12:53 — Regroup and Technical Zone – Newtown (30 mins)
14:31 — Myherin 2 (Stage 5)
15:11 — Sweet Lamb 2 (Stage 6)
15:26 — Hafren 2 (Stage 7)
19:01 — Chester Eastgate Time Control
20:01 — Service – Deeside Rally Village (45 mins)