Organisers of Wales Rally GB, the final round of the 2013 World Rally Championship, have announced sweeping changes to this year’s event, including a new base in North Wales and a revised rally route.
The headquarters and central Service Park will move from the Welsh capital Cardiff, where they have been based since 2000, to a new home 180 kilometres north on Deeside in Flintshire.
The event’s ceremonial start will be hosted in the town of Conwy on the Thursday evening with the finish celebrations in neighbouring Llandudno on Sunday afternoon.
Four days of competitive action will feature a more compact route with the majority of the timed Special Stages set in the classic Welsh forests.
Both night and family-friendly spectator stages are being reintroduced into the itinerary and ticket prices have been slashed in a bid to increase spectator numbers.
“We have listened to what the teams and fans want in our determined efforts to create what we are confident will be not only one of the best rounds in the WRC but also a fitting finale to the entire 2013 world championship,” explained Andrew Coe, Chief Executive of rally organiser International Motor Sports.
“South Wales has provided us with a fantastic home for Wales Rally GB since 2000 but the move to North Wales has a number of significant advantages. Most importantly, perhaps, we are closer to the sport’s traditional heartlands, some iconic rally forests, as well as being within a short drive of some of the larger conurbations in the UK such as Liverpool, Manchester and the Midlands.
Taking those factors into account, as well as our new ticket pricing policy which is designed to cater for both hardcore rally fans and a wider family audience, we are confident that the 2013 Wales Rally GB will be a highlight on the motor sport calendar."
Further details of the route and the 2013 event itinerary will be announced in mid May. In the meantime, World Rally Passes which give access to all competitive stages over the four days including qualifying, will be available from Friday 3 May with discounted packages available for early purchasers.