Rally of Great Britain : Wales Rally GB calls for Embarrassing Bodies to step forward

Wales Rally GB calls for Embarrassing Bodies to step forward

1 December 2008, 6:35 pm

Wales Rally GB could help turn a rally fan into a television celebrity, and cure a nasty illness at the same time, if they visit the Embarrassing Bodies mobile clinic at the Service Park at SA1 in Swansea on Saturday 6 December.

A trio of TV Doctors – Christian Jessen, Pixie McKenna and Priya Manickavasagar – stars of the popular Channel 4 series Embarrassing Bodies, will be in Swansea as part of their nationwide hunt for unusual skin disorders, nasty holiday illnesses and any other medical conditions that need checking out.

The Embarrassing Bodies mobile clinic will be open on Saturday 6 December – for your chance to see one of the doctors just come and speak to any member of the EB production team on the day or call 0121 224 8363 anytime before Thursday 4. Not only could you find yourself on the road to recovery but you could instantly become a TV star!

The Embarrassing Bodies clinic is part of the wide variety of entertainment on offer to visitors at the SA1 Service Park, all of which will add to the spectacle of the rally cars and drivers from the World and British Rally Championships.

It all starts 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 – gather in Swansea for the Shakedown Stage.

Rally cars will then return to SA1 six times over the following three days – with fans able to watch the world’s top rally teams like Ford, Citroën, Subaru and Suzuki make running repairs to their £350,000 rally cars close up.

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 the official FIA Drivers’ Press Conference live on stage and a special auction of rally memorabilia for Children In Need.

Auction lots include Mikko Hirvonen’s signed race suit, a signed front wing from Petter Solberg’s Subaru Impreza WRC2007 from this year’s Rally Argentina, Matthew Wilson’s driving gloves, a tour of M-Sport’s headquarters and a Pudsey bear signed by Valentino Rossi.

Following that on stage will be live performances by acclaimed Blondie tribute band Blondied and a sassy, fire-breathing routine from The Fuel Girls. The night’s entertainment will come to an end with a spectacular fireworks display.

On Saturday the Embarrassing Bodies mobile clinic will be open, while at Sunday lunchtime an ABBA tribute band will be live on stage.

In the Service Park throughout the four days will be a giant TV screen featuring live timing and rally footage, trade stands selling merchandise and memorabilia, catering stands, a bar and a Warrior tank, courtesy of the Territorial Army.

Fans will be able to keep up-to-date with the rally results and news as it happens on Wales Rally FM. It will be broadcasting on 87.7 FM, with special guest presenters Jon Desborough (Sky News sports presenter) and Matt Burt, Editor of Motorsport News.

SA1 Service Park timetable
Thursday 4 December
08.00 Gates open
08.00-13.30 Shakedown Stage *
14.00 RAF Tornado low level, high-speed fly past
14.30 Cheque presentation for The Richard Burns Foundation
15.00 Service Park closes

Friday 5 December
16.00...Gates open
18.00…First rally car enters service
18.30…Children In Need Auction, live on stage
19.00…Fuel Girls, live on stage
19.15…Blondied, live on stage
20.15…Fireworks
21.30…Service Park closes

Saturday 6 December
07.00...Gates open
07.25…First rally car enters service
09.00... Embarrassing Bodies clinic opens
12.13…First rally car enters service
19.23…First rally car enters service
23.00…Service Park closes

Sunday 7 December
06.30...Gates open
07.00…First rally car enters service
10.00…First rally car enters service
13.00…Abba revival, live on stage
13.03…First rally car enters service
15.00…Service Park closes

* The Shakedown Stage is located in Penllergaer Forest. A free park and ride service will operate from Langdon Road, off Fabian Way, Swansea. The first bus will leave at 7am and the last bus will return at 2pm. There will be no parking facilities at Shakedown.

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.

Holders of Day Passes will gain access to the Service Park on that particular day, while fans with World Rally Passes will gain free of charge access to the Service Park on all four days of the Rally.

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.

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.