Positive reaction to Wales’s first closed-road rally Rali Bae Ceredigion

Rali Bae Ceredigion became the first closed-road rally to be held in Wales last weekend under new legislation and to the approval of competitors.

Four Welsh Association of Motor Clubs members – Newton and District Motor Club, Aberystwyth Motor Club, Lampeter Motor Club and Teifi Valley Motor Club – joined forces to run the event, which was based at Aberystwyth University.

Each of the four stages was run twice with the 43-stagemile route taking 120 competitors through villages and over mountain roads.

“The local community has been brilliant, and there has been a party atmosphere and buzz about the event for some time,” said deputy clerk of the course, Eurig Evans.

“There are things we need to build on, but the general consensus is that everyone is coming back next year.”

Damian Cole, who is a regular competitor on closedroad events, said: “There’s a lot of corners. They are one after another: it’s the most technical rally I’ve ever done.”

The inaugural Three Shires Stages held on Saturday also received a huge vote of approval.

The third closed-road event to be run in England took in three laps of six special stages in Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire to widespread acclaim from competitors.

The rally was widely praised as an accessible closed-road event for clubmen and 101 crews started the 47-stage mile rally.

The event organisers hope that they can build on the first event to repeat the rally in 2020.