Elfyn Evans to showcase M-Sport’s new Ford Fiesta R5 at Rallyday 2013
Posted: September 4, 2013 8:37 AM
Rallyday is proud to announce that Elfyn Evans will drive M-Sport’s new Ford Fiesta R5 at the thirteenth edition of the UK’s Premier Rally Car Show that will take place on Saturday 21st September at Wiltshire’s Castle Combe Circuit.
The young Welshman, who is part of the Qatar M-Sport World Rally Team, has been making a name for himself this season in the 2013 FIA World Rally Championship and he most recently finished a fantastic sixth overall – and second in WRC 2 – on ADAC Rallye Deutschland (August 22-25), the ninth round out of 13.
The result equalled his previous best in the WRC - achieved back in June on Rally Italia Sardegna, although then he was making his debut in a WRC car, standing in for Nasser Al-Attiyah, and driving the Fiesta RS WRC.
“Rallyday is a brilliant event which always attracts a lot of spectators so I am very happy to be attending this year’s event with the [Ford] Fiesta R5,” said Elfyn, the 2012 FIA WRC Academy Cup winner, who will be joined at the event by his father, 1996 British Rally Champion, Gwyndaf.
“The car is absolutely fantastic, and following some great results at WRC level, I can’t wait to show it off in front of the home fans,” Elfyn continued.
M-Sport Managing Director, Malcolm Wilson, OBE added:
“M-Sport are always very keen to have a presence at Rallyday, and this year we will be there with one of our most exciting projects and one of our most impressive up-and-coming young drivers.
“I am very proud of the [Ford] Fiesta R5, so it is fantastic that Elfyn will be able to demonstrate its performance in front of the huge crowds we have come to expect at this event.
“Elfyn too has been working hard and getting some good results in the past few months. With two career-best sixth place finishes – one behind the wheel of the [Ford] Fiesta RS WRC in Sardinia, and the other with the [Fiesta] R5 in Germany – it will be a great opportunity for him to meet and thank the fans who have supported him over the years.”
News of Elfyn’s attendance follows confirmation in July that Volkswagen’s Sébastien Ogier will also be at the event.
The Frenchman, who could clinch the 2013 WRC Drivers’ title on Rally Australia, which takes place the weekend before Rallyday, will drive a genuine ex-works Group B Audi Quattro A2. Ogier will also present the inaugural 'Brian Stubbings Spirit of Rallyday' Trophy, created in honour of Brian, the co-founder of Rallyday, who sadly passed away in February this year.
Rallyday organiser, Darin Frow commented:
“Rallyday 2013 has been a very personal event for both Jo [Stubbings] and I this year, so we're extremely pleased to see such a strong line-up from the world of rallying and welcome back so many friends.
“The latest news that Malcolm [Wilson] has confirmed M-Sport's attendance with their new Fiesta R5 which will be driven by Elfyn - one of Britain's brightest new rally stars - just adds to the excitement.”
Other stars and attractions at Rallyday 2013 will include 1984 World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist, returning to wrestle Audi's very own fire breathing S1 Quattro.
Blomqvist will be joined by Paddy Hopkirk, Mini Cooper driving legend and winner of the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally, who will lead the 50th Mini Cooper celebrations, as well as former Ford works driver Phil Collins, 1989 and 1990 British Rally Champion David Lllewllin and 2007 and 2008 British Rally Champion, Guy Wilks, who will get behind the wheel of a Mitsubishi again, although this time it will be MML Sports Mitsubishi WRC05 - Mitsubishi’s last WRC car.
The MSA British Rally Championship will have an official presence too, with a display and cars in action in the Feature Stage, including current Championship leader Jukka Korhonen and his closest rival, Tom Cave.
In total the Castrol EDGE Feature Rally Stage will showcase around 55 cars, and in addition to the BRC, will boast historic cars, Fords through the ages, Group A, Group 4 and Group B, and World Rally Cars, with Rallyday hosts, Tony Mason and Howard Davies commentating on all the action and interviewing a number of the stars on the main Rallyday stand throughout the day.
In addition, Colin McMaster will publicly launch 'McRae, just Colin' and this will be the first opportunity McRae fans will have to see and buy this book, which ‘uncovers every aspect of Colin’s career and character’ and includes a collection of personal stories, told by family and friends and the best of McKlein’s photo archive to ‘lavishly illustrate all these fascinating stories’. Much of the private and behind-the-scenes photography shown in this book has never previously been published.
Finally, there will be a number of Rallycross, Autograss and Autotest demos throughout the day, while the Cooper Tires 4x4 Zone will include the whole Race 2 Recovery team, a new off-road experience area, club and trade displays including Comp Safari race cars, as well as Trials, Challenge vehicles and King of the Valleys machines.
“We're looking forward to a great show,” Frow summed up, “featuring the best cars and drivers across every level of UK rallying from WRC, Clubmans and Historic to the biggest 4x4 Zone that Rallyday has seen - all of which will be in action too of course!”
Rallyday 2013 date set
Posted: January 3, 2013 2:30 PM
Rallyday is pleased to announce that the thirteenth edition of the UK’s Premier Rally Car Show will take place on Saturday 21st September 2013 at Wiltshire’s Castle Combe Circuit.
The event has traditionally taken place in the Autumn, but moved to August last year to avoid a clash with Wales Rally GB, Britain’s round of the FIA World Rally Championship. With that event now switching back to November this year, however, Rallyday is free to take up its usual date.
Rallyday is now a well established event on the motorsport calendar, regularly attracting a crowd in excess of 10,000 people, and last year was again a success. Indeed 2003 World Rally Champion Petter Solberg pulled out all the stops to give the fans a truly memorable day as he performed dozens of crowd-pleasing donuts in his Castrol Edge sponsored Ford World Rally Team Fiesta RS WRC car.
The Norwegian was one of a plethora of stars from the rallying world in attendance. Others included then M-Sport Ford World Rally Team driver Ott Tanak, British Rally Champions Jonny Milner, Jimmy McRae and Russell Brookes, as well as WRC Academy pilot John MacCrone (running in his Palletforce Rally Team Fiesta R2), Rallyday hosts, Tony Mason (1972 RAC winning co-driver with Roger Clark) and Howard Davies (1996 BRC winning co-driver with Gwyndaf Evans) and 1999 and 2000 Dakar winner and 1998-2002 World Cross Country Championship winner Jean-Louis Schlesser. Schlesser headed up the dedicated Cooper Tires 4x4 Rally Raid Zone, along with the Race2Recovery team, which will become the first team of predominantly injured servicemen to contest the gruelling Dakar Rally this month.
Discounted spectator tickets and booking forms for Car Clubs, Traders, 4x4 Clubs and Clubmans Rally Teams will be available from 1st February 2013.
Event Website
Posted: January 3, 2013 2:29 PM
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