INDIA in F1

Tag: Tir Prince

  • Dayinsure Wales Rally GB: MRF, Gaurav Gill looking forward to an improved show

    Dayinsure Wales Rally GB: MRF, Gaurav Gill looking forward to an improved show

    Photos: Courtesy MRF Racing

    Tir Prince, 4 October 2018: Team MRF Tyres is looking forward to getting back on the World Rally Championship stages at the Dayinsure Wales Rally GB which will take place on 4-7 October. The Dayinsure Wales Rally GB is the third WRC round the team has entered this year as they prepare for their 2019 assault.

    Having competed on the rough roads of Rally Italia Sardegna and the fast roads of Neste Rally Finland, the classic stages in Wales will prove to be another challenging and unique test.

    The M-Sport team will again be running the Ford Fiesta R5 and their home-ground experience will be valuable for the continued development of the MRF rally tyre range.

    Gaurav Gill….all set for Welsh challenge

    India’s Gaurav Gill will again be in the driver’s seat. He competed in Wales Rally GB in 2008 in a Group N spec car and is excited to return the stages that saw his debut into global rallying.

    Australia’s Glenn Macneall is back in the co-driver’s seat and has also made one start in Great Britain, having rallied to a PWRC class podium in 2009.

    Gill said: “I am looking forward to jumping back in the MRF Tyres Fiesta at Wales Rally GB. The team in India have put a lot of effort into this rally and we have new developments with the MRF Tyres that we are bringing here. I competed here once in a production rally car in 2008 and I am looking forward to the challenge that these roads will present.”

    MRF Tyres’ commitment to being competitive in the WRC is evident by their continual development of the WRC tyre range.

    The Team MRF Tyres Ford Fiesta R5 will be competing with 23 other R5 entries in what will be a very competitive field.

    The Dayinsure Wales Rally GB sees a return to the central service park in Deeside and gets underway with the Shakedown and blast through the 1.7km Spectator Super Special on 4 October.

    Friday’s stages will see eight competitive stages over 110km in the Brenig, Alwen and Penmachno forests of North Wales. A grueling Saturday will see nine stages and 150km of running. Legendary stages Sweet Lamb, Myherin and Dyfi all await the crews. The crews will have a remote service in Newtown before coming back to Deeside in the evening.

    Sunday’s stages will see five stages and 55km of running with the coastal run around Great Orme Llandudno being the final stage of the rally. In total the crews will rally on 318.34 of competitive stages.

  • Dayinsure Wales Rally GB: Thrilling three-way battle involving Neuville, Tanak and Ogier

    Dayinsure Wales Rally GB: Thrilling three-way battle involving Neuville, Tanak and Ogier

    Photos: Courtesy Dayinsure Wales Rally GB official website

    Tir Prince, 4 October 2018: A dramatic opening night under the floodlights; challenging new speed tests in the legendary Welsh forests and a stunning finale with cars racing through the closed streets of Llandudno – the first free-to-attend WRC stage in the UK for more than 20 years. Then there’s the added excitement of thrilling three-way title fights for both Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ WRC Championships as well as a local Welshman – Elfyn Evans – gunning for back-to-back GB victories after his 2017 success. It all adds up to an absolutely unmissable sporting spectacle.

    More than 150 competitors will be based in the Deeside Rally Village with those contesting round 11 of this year’s 13-round FIA World Rally Championship facing 23 speed tests totaling nearly 200 miles (312kms) spread over four days of epic high-speed action.

    The introduction of an awesome new generation of turbocharged, four-wheel-drive cars attracted record crowds to last year’s event and, as a result, an even more fan-friendly route has been devised for 2018.

    It all blasts off under the lights at the Tir Prince Raceway on Thursday evening and concludes with the history-making Great Orme Llandudno Street Stage on Sunday morning – the first time World Championship motor sport has ever been seen on closed roads in Great Britain.

    “There really is something for everyone,” enthuses Ben Taylor, managing director of Dayinsure Wales Rally GB. “We have an unsurpassed breed of stunning cars, the most exciting title race in memory, a local hero in Elfyn Evans, all the classic stages in the Welsh forests plus an amazing finish on the streets of Llandudno – it adds up to an incredible four days of epic entertainment. Even the weather seems to be set fair!”

    The Welsh Government’s Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport, Lord Elis-Thomas, is equally excited. He says: “North Wales is very familiar with adventure, and for a weekend in October – Wales Rally GB becomes part of the family and adds to the adrenaline and excitement. Wales is home to some of the world’s most legendary rally stages – and this year’s route is a showcase of our fantastic Welsh scenery – with a spectacular finish along the coast during the Year of the Sea. We look forward to another successful event as some of the sport’s legendary drivers take on the challenges of the Wales Rally GB.”

    TITLE FIGHT REACHES FEVER PITCH

    Not for 15 years has the WRC produced such a captivating title battle among both drivers and manufacturers. With three rounds remaining on the 2018 calendar, just 24 points separate series leader Thierry Neuville, fast finishing Ott Tänak and five-time World champ Sébastien Ogier. With 90 points still on the table, the crown cannot be won in Wales, but, with time running out, all three protagonists will be flat-out in the forests.

    A campaign that appeared to be building towards a duel between defending champion Ogier and heir apparent Neuville has been gate-crashed by man-of-the moment Tänak. The Estonian arrives in Wales having won the previous three rounds in Finland, Germany and Turkey in his Toyota Yaris and now finally admits he’s a title threat. “We are in the fight now,” he acknowledges.

    Neuville still has his Hyundai’s nose in front but knows he has a battle on his hands. “We are fighting for the championship against some very hard guys to beat,” says the Belgian.

    “It’s a three-way fight,” agreed Ogier. “There are still three rallies to go and everything is possible. Nothing is finished yet.” Now fans in Wales can witness the next page-turning chapter in this WRC thriller.

    GOOD EVANS: A WELSH WINNER!

    While many eyes will be focused on the title fight, local fans will be hoping home hero Elfyn Evans can again upset the form book.

    Last year, the Welsh wizard from Dolgellau, made history by becoming the first Welsh driver ever to win a round of the World Rally Championship – a feat he’s now aiming to repeat. “Competing at home always bring a special motivation and we are targeting another victory,” he says. “The fans were amazing last year and I hope it’s going to be same again.”