Rallyday @ Castle Combe - (Sat) 22 Sep 07

Posted: September 23, 2007 10:31 PM

Photos:
cmwi.net

Rally Car Day (Castle Combe)

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PRE EVENT NEWS

• Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship BRC in attendance at Rallyday
• RALLY LEGEND HANNU MIKKOLA TO STAR AT RALLYDAY
• NEW DATE FOR RALLYDAY 2007

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20/09/07
Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship BRC in attendance at Rallyday
Cars and drivers from Mitsubishi Motors UK and Dealer Team Suzuki GB will be joined by representatives from the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship Rally 4 and Rally 2 classes, as well as the Citroën C2R2 Cup at Rallyday, which will be held at Castle Combe, near Chippenham in Wiltshire this coming Saturday 22nd September.

Several drivers from the BRC will be taking to the Tesco 99 Octane special stage, including third placed Rob Swann whose Impreza can be seen on the rally track as well as the Castle Combe race circuit. He is joined by Matt Beebe and Vesa Mikkola who are in contention for the British Rally 2 class. Nuneaton’s Beebe currently lies second while Mikkola, son of 1978 British Rally Champion Hannu, is fourth in his Civic, on equal points. The BRC Citroën C2R2 Cup is represented by Martin Roberts who led the series after round three.

Newly crowned Irish N2 Class Champion Lorna Smith and team-mate James Wozencroft will be displaying their Suzuki Swifts on the race track ahead of next weeks ITC finale in Cork.

Gwyndaf Evans will be on hand representing Mitsubishi Motors GB, but his Rally 4 Evo 9 will be a static display, swapping his Evo Challenge prize drive car for World Rally machinery for the day. Gwyndaf is featured with James, Lorna and both Vesa and Hannu Mikkola on the list of interviewees held on the main stage throughout the day.

The Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship organising team will be in attendance all day at the BRC hospitality area to answer questions about the Britain’s’ premier rally championship. Tesco 99 Octane and Greenergy fuels will be in attendance, alongside the Pirelli Simulator and the Wales Rally GB tickets sales booth all of which are located adjacent to the BRC Paddock area.

While the Tesco 99 Octane stage will be live all day, sessions on the track are scheduled, with the BRC competitors joining Clubmen in four sessions detailed below.

Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship Rallyday highlights

All day Tesco 99 Octane live special stage
10.00 BRC Track session
11.00 BRC Track session
11.30 Main stage Gwyndaf Evans interview
14.45 Main stage Vesa & Hannu Mikkola interviews
15.00 BRC Track session
15.30 Meet the BRC competitors in the paddock
15.45 Main stage Lorna Smith & James Wozencroft interviews
16.20 BRC Track session

Gates open at 09.00am, tickets prices are £15 Adult and £3 accompanied children under 16.

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20/08/07
RALLY LEGEND HANNU MIKKOLA TO STAR AT RALLYDAY
Rallyday is delighted to confirm that rally legend Hannu Mikkola will make a rare UK appearance at this year's event, at Castle Combe racing circuit on Saturday 22 September.

The 1993 World Rally Champion has been invited by PIAA UK to present the company's Pioneer Awards, to people who have made a significant impression in motorsport in recent years. The manufacturer and supplier of high-performance lighting products is using the occasion to mark its 21st anniversary in Britain.

Fans will be pleased to learn that Mikkola will drive a Mk2 Escort on the track and will be interviewed by Tony Mason during the day. He has also agreed to sign autographs on a series of limited-edition posters, produced exclusively for this event by PIAA.

PIAA has always been keen to put something back into the sport which it uses for product development and for many years has provided valuable support for rising rally talent. The company currently helps a number of up-and-coming young UK drivers, including Guy Wilks, Phillip Morrow, Stuart Jones and James Wozencroft.

STOBART WORLD RALLY TEAM
The Stobart WRC team will have a large display in the centre of the main paddock, and current World Rally Championship driver Matthew Wilson will demonstrate his capabilities in the Stobart Ford Focus World Rally Car. Wilson said: "Last year, I had a really great time. Mikko and myself really enjoyed the feature stage and I can't wait to tackle it again this year. Hopefully, this year will be another great success for Rallyday, fingers crossed that the weather is kind!"

MITSUBISHI WORKS RALLY TEAM
Mitsubishi will have a major display at Rallyday 2007, as part of their continuing support for the event. This will include live demonstrations of the Mitsubishi Lancer World Rally Car on the rally stage, and the British Rally Championship works rally car. The current Mitsubishi works driver line-up of Gwyndaf Evans and Guy Wilks will be available for autographs and will be interviewed on the main stage

DEALER TEAM SUZUKI
The team will make their Rallyday debut this year. The two-car team includes young MSA British Rally Elite Driver, James Wozencroft and former British Ladies Champion Lorna Smith. The 1600cc Suzuki Swift Sport Rally Cars will be in action on the day, along with a full, two-car service set-up in the centre of the paddock.

TESCO 99 BRITISH RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
For the first time, the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship has joined forces with Rallyday to create "BRC Rallyday Live!" Teams and drivers from the UK's premier rally series will be at the Wiltshire circuit, giving demonstrations in their cars on a separate special stage, just two weeks before the penultimate Championship event, International Rally Yorkshire. Visitors to Rallyday will also have a chance to experience the stage, as passenger-ride winners will be drawn from a raffle on the day.

RUSSELL BROOKES
Former British Rally Champion Russell Brookes will be reunited with his Andrews Heat for Hire Manta 400 and Sunbeam Lotus, driving both these immaculate and original works rally cars on the Feature Stage.

RALLYCROSS SUPERCARS
Spectators at Rallyday 2007 will get the chance to see a range of full spec flame-spitting Rallycross Supercars in action. These cars are spectacular to watch and the organisers of Rallyday have teamed up with the British Rallycross Drivers Association (BRDA) to host two dedicated demonstrations of these terrific machines.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS...
:: Other attractions include the incredible Aston Martin Rally GT, giving spectators a unique chance to see this very rare car in action.
:: The all-new Clubman's Rally Package will mean more rally cars at the show than ever before. The paddock areas are already fully booked, with over 600 cars from rally-related car clubs, including a range of iconic original rally cars from all eras, a host of traders selling all manner of rallying paraphernalia, and both the Pirelli and Castrol rally car simulators for those who want to get behind the wheel themselves.
:: With former World Rally Champion Nicky Grist, Howard Davies and the one and only Tony Mason as Rallyday MCs, and Russ Swift opening the event at 09.00 with his popular "Donut Display", it promises to be a great day for the whole family!

Advance tickets (available up to 31 August 2007) cost just £10 per adult; children are £FREE. Tickets on the gate cost £15 per adult; £3 per child; under 5s are £FREE.

Rally Car Day (Castle Combe)

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03/02/07
NEW DATE FOR RALLYDAY 2007
Rallyday 2007 will take place on Saturday
22 September 2007 at Castle Combe
Circuit in Wiltshire.
The 2007 event has been moved to later in the year to avoid clashes with major rallies and other motorsport events.

Attractions at this year's event are anticipated to be the most spectacular yet, following very positive meetings between the organisers, World Rally Championship teams and various suppliers to the rally industry.

To manage the further growth of Rallyday in 2007, the main paddock area will be extended to meet the annually increasing demand from traders and rally teams. Additional club display areas are also being introduced to accommodate the anticipated 70+ motor clubs and car clubs which form a major attraction for many visitors.

Rallyday 2007 will also see the introduction of a new package for Clubman's rally teams, who want to take advantage of track time to entertain sponsors and teams in their rally cars at a high-profile event, in front of 10,000+ spectators.

Further details of the 2007 programme, including the names of the star drivers, teams and attractions attending the show, will be confirmed in forthcoming press releases and listed on the Rallyday website.

For anyone not familiar with the event, Rallyday is an annual show which gives visitors a chance to enjoy the spectacle of a wide range of rally cars and rally stars, in an open and spectator-friendly environment. It combines live action on the track with static displays in the paddock, and has something to offer everyone, from the rally enthusiast to a family looking for an enjoyable day out.

On-track action comes in the form of professional driving demonstrations, track sessions, rally car rides, circuit parades and a feature rally car stage. Off-track there is a host of displays, where visitors can have a close look at some of the world's most iconic rally cars, those which have made rallying history through the years. Paddock action revolves around the main event stage, where star guests are interviewed. There are also numerous trade exhibitors, ranging from major car manufacturers to individual specialists offering a diverse array of rally merchandise.

Rallyday Interactive allows visitors to do more than just spectate. Whether it be a rally simulator, radio-controlled rally car races or a full-on, white-knuckle ride in a selection of rally cars, there are many activities for people to participate in.

Advance tickets cost just £10 per adult and will be available on the event website from 1 April 2007. Tickets on the day will be £15, so it makes sense to book early.

The new Clubman's Rally package is £100, which includes four 5-lap track sessions (60km asphalt), four adult entry tickets, one car pass and one support vehicle pass and is strictly open to MSA licence holders with rally cars which meet the 100dBA static noise limit. Tickets, in addition to information on track sessions, paddock parking, trade stands and spectator information, can all be found at Rallyday's website

Rally Car Day (Castle Combe)