Rally of Great Britain : Wales Rally GB set to rev up Swansea's SA1 Waterfront

Wales Rally GB set to rev up Swansea's SA1 Waterfront

Wales Rally GB

Les Kolczak

13 November 2008, 3:44 pm

Swansea City Centre will be the focus of world motorsport attention when Wales Rally GB (December 4-7) sets up its Service Park at the SA1 Waterfront - bringing world champions, live on-stage entertainment, trade stands, giant screen, driver interviews and fireworks to the heart of the city.

Rally cars will visit the Service Park a total of seven times over the four-day event, giving spectators the opportunity to see how teams change gearboxes, wheels and tyres in a frenzy of activity.

Gates open at 8am on Thursday 4 December, when some of motorsport’s top sports stars – including five-times World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb and six-times MotoGP Champion Valentino Rossi (who will be supporting the BBC Children in Need appeal) – prepare for the start of the final round of the FIA World Rally Championship at Shakedown.

There will be a new free park and ride service to Shakedown, which will operate from Langdon Road, off Fabian Way, Swansea. The first bus will leave at 7am to Tircoed Forest Village, with journeys taking on average 30 minutes. The last bus will leave Tircoed at 2pm to return to Langdon Road. There will be no parking facilities at Shakedown.

Over the following three days, all 86 competing cars will return to the SA1 Service Park to be repaired and prepared for the next batch of demanding forestry special stages.

And with so many cars in the event, there will be continuous rally car action for two and a half hours, between the first car arriving in each service and the last car leaving.

Friday night is party night at the SA1 Service Park. Gates open at 4pm on December 5, and in addition to the rally cars there will be live performances on stage by acclaimed Blondie tribute band Blondied and The Fuel Girls, followed by a spectacular fireworks display. Also, in support of BBC Children in Need, there will be a live auction so fans can pick up a unique souvenir or piece of rally memorabilia, with all proceeds going to the charity.

Saturday (6 December) will be another busy day. Gates open at 7am, with rally cars in SA1 for a mid-day service and for the day’s final service at 7pm.

The final day of Wales Rally GB – and of the 2008 World Rally season – brings crews to SA1 twice more. Gates open to the public at 6.30am, with a service at 10am and 1pm. At lunchtime the ABBA tribute band, ABBA Revival will be playing an hour-long live set on stage.

A trade area, selling hot food and official Wales Rally GB and team merchandise, will be open on all four days.

Work to transform SA1 into the centre of world motorsport attention begins on November 24, when the individual team areas, link roads, footpaths, lighting towers, live stage, toilets, barriers, trade area and access points begin to take shape. The top works teams will arrive to set up their hospitality units and service areas on December 1, ready for the show to begin on December 4.

“Having the Service Park located at SA1 Waterfront is a great opportunity for rally fans and families to come and see the world’s best cars and drivers close up in a safe and child-friendly environment,” explained Andrew Coe, chief executive of Wales Rally GB. “The live on stage entertainment and firework display on the Friday night will really add to the excitement and spectacle of having a world class sporting event in the heart of Swansea City Centre.”

Entry into the SA1 Service Park is by ticket only, which can be purchased on the gate. Adult tickets cost just £5 for adults and children aged 15 and under go for £1 – as part of the event’s Kids for a Quid promotion.

Service Park opening times:
Thursday 4 December...08.00 - 15.00
Friday 5 December...16.00 - 21.30
Saturday 6 December...07.00 - 23.00
Sunday 7 December...06.30 - 15.00

To keep up to date with news and information about Wales Rally GB visit www.walesrallygb.com or to book tickets call the booking hotline on 0844 8472251. To get the best prices on tickets purchase them before 6 December.
Ends.

For further information please contact Zoe Liberty or Richard Postins at Prova on 01926 776900 or email zoel@provapr.co.uk

Notes to editors:
Wales Rally GB:
Copyright-free images from the 2007 Wales Rally GB can be downloaded from; www.worldrallypics.com/walesrallygb/

www.walesrallygb.com is the official website and provides regular news updates and a link to copyright-free images.

Since its inception in 1932 the rally has been run 63 times; this year's event will be the 64th edition. Enforced stoppages have included World War 2, Suez Crisis (1957) and Foot and Mouth (1967).

Wales Rally GB is the British and final round of the 15-round FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). It is one of only four events that have retained their unbroken World Championship status since the WRC was established in 1973.

Cardiff first hosted the rally in 2000 and the Welsh Assembly Government has been the main sponsor of the event since 2003. The City and County of Swansea has provided the Service Park since 2001.

WRGB is the finale of the Tesco 99 Octane British Rally Championship (rounds six and seven) and the eighth and 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.

For 2008 Wales Rally GB has become the first round of the World Rally Championship to offset all its carbon emissions, including all spectator travel. The event has been awarded CarbonNeutral® event status, confirming that the event’s carbon footprint is now ‘net zero’.

Access to all 19 special stages is by ticket. Buy tickets in advance for the best value for money:
• by calling the ticket hotline on 0844 847 2251
• online via the official website: www.walesrallygb.com
• or in person from Ticketline, 47 Westgate Street, Cardiff, CF10 1TL

Details on high quality hospitality packages can be obtained from Alyson Beach at Viking Hospitality, telephone: +44 (0)2920 766661 or e-mail: hospitality@walesrallygb.com.

SA1 Swansea Waterfront is a flagship development by the Welsh Assembly Government, designed to maximise Swansea’s magnificent and extensive waterfront and is completely transforming what was once a disused dockland area into a vibrant and dynamic new quarter for the city.

The 100 acre development is in a prime location surrounding the Prince of Wales Dock, overlooking the banks of the River Tawe and adjacent to the main arterial gateway that leads into the heart of the city.

To date over £38m has been invested by the Assembly Government with £150m of private sector investment already commenced or under contract, with a target of £400m of private sector investment.

SA1 is playing a key role in changing the face of Swansea- the city by the sea.

Sebastien Loeb has won Rallye Monte-Carlo for a sixth time following a dominant performance behind the wheel of the Citroen DS3 WRC he shares with Monegasque co-driver Daniel Elena.

Of the 74 starters who began Wales Rally GB in Llandudno on Thursday 10th November, 40 were classified at the end of the four-day,1860 kms rally which featured 23 timed special stages as it wound its way from the North coast to the ceremonial finish in Cardiff.

As this year's Wales Rally GB - the final and deciding round of the 2011 FIA World Rally Championship - draws to a close, Business Minister, Edwina Hart has announced a funding package of £1.4 million for the 2012 event.