World Rally Championship spectators will strap themselves in for a
breathtaking action show with precision driving, spectacular stunts and
high speed chases. And that's only the 'warm-up' before international
rallying heroes enter Cardiff's Millennium Stadium to compete on
Saturday 1 December, the penultimate day of the UK and final round of
the Championship, Wales Rally GB.
Billed by Wales Rally GB organisers as 'The Millennium Job,' visitors
will enjoy a mouthwatering demonstration of bravery and skill on four
wheels, performed by five-times British Auto Test champion, Paul Swift
and his team, filling the stadium with cars, lights and action. 'The
Millennium Job' is just one element of the entertainment programme
planned to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Wales Rally GB, formerly
the Rally of Great Britain.
As rallying stars from across the globe gather beneath the stadium in
preparation, spectators will also be taken on a high-speed ride through
the event's history from the very first running in Torquay in 1932 to
Cardiff in 2007. Amongst the iconic cars of the past there will even be
a 1932 Lanchester identical to the car in which Colonel A H
Loughborough won the very first running.
"As the final round of both the World and British Rally Championships,
this is one of the most exhilarating events in the UK sporting
calendar," enthused Wales Rally GB's chief executive Andrew Coe. "This
year will be particularly special with all the celebrations to mark the
event's 75th anniversary, and we have gone all out to create a night to
be remembered by every rally fan."
"However, the focus of evening is still very much on the competitive
challenge that this stage will present," continued Coe, "not least
because the result of the last few World Rally Championship battles
sees just 10 points separating current leader Marcus Grönholm and
reigning champion Sébastien Loeb. On Saturday evening, all eyes will be
on the Millennium Stadium for the penultimate day of what is
increasingly looking like one of the closest World Championship finale
in years."
The entertainment at Wales Rally GB's Millennium Stadium will start at
18.00 on Saturday 1 December. Tickets are on sale from just £15 per
adult or £5 for children aged 15 or under from the ticket hotline 0870
060 1764 or www.walesrallygb.com
This year's Wales Rally GB will be the 75th Anniversary of the event.
Since
its inception in 1932 the rally has been run 62 times; this year's
event will be the 63rd edition. Enforced stoppages have included World
War 2, Suez Crisis (1957) and Foot and Mouth (1967).
No
"Overall Classification" was produced until 1953 when the event
finished in Hastings and was won by Yorkshire husband-and-wife Team Ian
and Pat Appleyard in a Jaguar XK120.
Wales Rally GB is the
British and final round of the 16-round FIA World Rally Championship
(WRC). It is one of only six events that have retained their unbroken
World Championship status since the WRC was established in 1973.
Cardiff first hosted the event in 2000 and the Welsh Assembly Government has supported the event since 2003.
WRGB
is the sixth and final round of the Tesco 99 Octane British Rally
Championship and the final round of the FIA Production World Rally
Championship.
Wales Rally GB is held annually and is the UK 's
biggest motor sport event. It is organised and promoted by
International Motor Sports Ltd (IMS), the commercial arm of the
Berkshire-based Motor Sports Association (MSA), the governing body for
all UK motor sport.
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