Rally gears up for first stage in Wales in 30 years

A motorsports event is estimated to bring in millions of pounds when it is hosted in Wales for the first time in almost 30 years.

It will be the first time Rali Ceredigion has ever held an official European Rally Championship (ERC) stage - with organisers hoping it will attract a wider international audience to the area.

It starts in Aberystwyth on Friday and is estimated by Ceredigion council to generate "significantly more" than £3m in revenue for the region.

More than 140 competitors from 14 different countries from around the world are set to take part in the three-day event.

Since it started, in 2019, Rali Ceredigion has been recognised for being one of the world's most sustainable races.

This year it is hoping to set a new world record for carbon offsetting in rallying, with an expected 200,000kg (200 tonnes) CO2e being positively offset.

For the first time, the 183km (114 mile) route will also visit the neighbouring counties of Carmarthenshire and Powys.

Areas such as Brechfa and the picturesque Llyn Brianne and Nant y Moch reservoirs are part of the 14 stages.

The rally also takes place on asphalt public roads which means that some will be closed while the event is taking place.

James Williams, 26 from Newcastle Emlyn, has been rallying since he was 15 years old and said he is excited that the rally is moving into the next gear.

"Now it's part of the ERC it’s a step up from being in the British Rally Championship... now we'll get to see the local guys versus the European boys," he said.

After finishing third in Rali Ceredigion last year, he acknowledged that competing against European drivers will be "difficult", but added that confidence is crucial.

His father and manager Mark Williams said he still feels nervous despite rallying himself since 1987, and described the event in Ceredigion as a "big status rally".

He said: "[I’ll be] pacing up and down using my mobile apps to track the drivers and check what the stage times are.

"I’ll be constantly on the phone through the weekend and will probably have to charge the battery twice a day.”

Clerk of the course, Andy Gilmore, praised Ceredigion's roads as one of the reasons the rally has been admitted to ERC in just its fourth time out.

"They're just fantastic roads, the quality of the surface. It's a challenge as well for the competitors and there's so many great viewing areas for spectators.

“The stages are just fantastic, and they're new too in rallying terms - this will be only the fourth closed road rally in Wales ever."

Reiner Kuhn, a German journalist who has reported on rallies across the world, said he was astonished by the rise of meteoric Rali Ceredigion.

"We know that the guys in Wales know how to do rallies... but the fact this rally came on so quick... to be honest I was surprised," he said.

"It shows two things – one, the guys know exactly how to do a proper rally, and two, how big is the interest to have this area back on the top level of rallying."

European Rally Championship leader, and last year's champion, Hayden Paddon is one of the star attractions in his Hyundai i20 N Rally2, and is keen to repeat his Rali Ceredigion victory from 2022.

The New Zealander currently leads the ERC by just 13 points, making Rali Ceredigion a key event in the race to be champion.

But he will be chased hard by France's Mathieu Franceschi and Poland's Mikołaj Marczyk, both driving a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.

Competing in an Escort Mark 2 is Cerith Jones from Ty’n y Graig near Pontrhydfendigaid, in Ceredigion.

He said rallying is in his blood and that he has driven in around 40 night rallies so far.

"This is definitely a big step up for me because the ERC brings bigger drivers and bigger crowds to watch it," he said.

"I'm just going to have fun and finish though - that’s my main aim."

Ceredigion council has put forward £100,000 of financial support for the rally and has agreed to underwrite a further £250,000 should there be a shortfall in staging the event.

An additional £150k funding has come from the UK government’s shared prosperity fund.

A spokesperson for the council said supporting "major events" that generate "significant economic benefit" is a key part of its plan.

"Rali Ceredigion has significant economic impact in the region in previous years, the direct regional impact being £3.02 million, with the expanded event likely to generate significantly more this year," they said.