GB COUNTDOWN: RALLY ROUTE

AVOIDING TROUBLE WILL BE A KEY FACTOR AT THIS WEEK’S WALES RALLY GB (12 - 15 NOVEMBER) AS DRIVERS TACKLE TWO OF THE THREE DAYS IN SLIMY AND MUDDY FORESTS WITHOUT MID-LEG SERVICE.
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Friday’s opening leg in mid-Wales has more than 130km of action with just a single tyre change opportunity. Sunday’s finale to the 2015 WRC season doesn’t even offer that, ensuring endurance will come to the fore and a clean run should reap benefits.

Although just one special stage is completely unchanged from last year, the roads and forests are familiar to regulars. All 19 tests have been used one way or another in the last couple of seasons, although several include short new sections.

The rally is again based in Deeside and the service park hosts Sunday’s finish for the first time.

After Thursday night’s start in Llandudno, Friday journeys south to mid-Wales for two identical loops of three stages. Hafren at 32.14km is the longest of the rally, Sweet Lamb is a fan favourite and the wind farms of Myherin return after a year’s absence.

Saturday is the longest of the event with 142.32km of competition and starts with repeated back-to-back runs in Dyfi and Gartheiniog. Two passes through Dyfnant and Aberhirnant, the second of which will be driven in darkness, are split by the short Chirk Castle and service.

The final day is based in the north and heralds the return of the asphalt test around Llandudno’s rocky Great Orme headland, with picture-postcard backdrops over the sea (pictured above). There are also two runs through Brenig alongside the equally picturesque reservoir, the second of which forms the live TV Power stage with bonus points to the fastest three drivers.

There are 310.15km of stages in a route of 1469.29km