Motorsport News

NICKY GRIST ORGANISERS PUSHING FOR 2021 EVENT

Rally is still being plotted despite uncertaint­y from authoritie­s

- By Luke Barry

Organisers of the Nicky Grist Stages are pressing ahead with their plans to run the event on July 10 despite stricter coronaviru­s restrictio­ns in Wales than in other corners of the UK.

The Nicky Grist Stages will be the second round of the British Rally Championsh­ip as well as the season-opener for both the

BTRDA and Welsh Rally Championsh­ips. Rally Guide 1 has now been published with entries set to open on May 24 for potential registered championsh­ip competitor­s.

Clerk of the course, Neil Cross, said: “Although Wales is currently still in the high-risk Alert Level 3 [where outdoor activity is capped at 30 participan­ts], it is successful­ly reopening and cautiously getting back to normal life. With a very low and decreasing number of new infections being recorded, and the majority of the population having been vaccinated, we are confident that, come July, we will be allowed to run the Nicky Grist Stages as planned. We are certainly confident enough to press on with our plans.”

The 2021 event will be based in Builth Wells and features eight stages: four in the morning before service and then the same four repeated in the afternoon.

Nicky Grist said: “The clerk of the course has put together some great stages with some subtle changes in the route, some of which have not been used for a long while, and some sections have never been used on our rally before. The roads are in great condition and a brilliant day’s competitio­n will be in store for everyone.”

 ?? Photos: Jakob Ebrey, Kevin Money, M-Sport, Hal Ridge and GRX ?? The Nicky Grist Stages is still on organisers’ radar
Photos: Jakob Ebrey, Kevin Money, M-Sport, Hal Ridge and GRX The Nicky Grist Stages is still on organisers’ radar

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