BUILTH Wells will host the Nicky Grist Stages on Saturday.
Rally fans from across Britain are expected to descend on the town with stages at Llyn Login, Crychan, Halfway and Monument.
The stages running through the Crychan and Halfway forests and the Military Training Area over Eypnt are classics.
Builth Wells Rugby Club's Groe pitch will act as its service area venue.
Once again the Nicky Grist Stages is partnered with Carbon Positive Motorsport.
This provides carbon offsetting for all competitor, organiser and spectator event vehicles and is part of a long-term roadmap and commitment to mitigate the event’s carbon footprint and reduce the sport’s environmental impact.
Action from last year's Nicky Grist Stages.
This year’s Nicky Grist Stages is a round of six major UK rally championships, namely the MRF Tyres BTRDA Rally Series, Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship, HRCR Rally Master Challenge, IPS Paint Rally Challenge (which raises funds for the Wales Air Ambulance), the ANWCC Rally Championship and, for the first time, the Bowler Defender Challenge.
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Nicky Grist, whose Nicky Grist Motorsports operation has sponsored the event for 14 consecutive years, said this year’s 44 stage mile route will make it one of the most challenging ever.
“Llyn Login is a great stage to start the event,” said Nicky. “It’s a lovely smooth, fast and flowing gravel stage, with a short asphalt section in the middle, and definitely not a stage for the faint hearted.
“The following road section takes crews down through Beulah and towards Llandovery and enters Crychan forest on the western side for a new variation of a fantastic stage.
Action from last year's Nicky Grist Stages.
"The longest stage of the 2023 event throws everything that a Welsh forest can at a competitor. It’s tight and twisty in places, fast and flowing in others and there are a lot of junctions. With a hard and abrasive surface, tyre management will be important – and it’s fair to say that the rally would be won or lost in Crychan.
“Next up is Halfway, which again is a slight variation to previous years but with many of the classic sections that make this stage so famous remaining.
"There are narrow bridges, gateways and cattlegrids to negotiate, so plenty to catch crews out if they’re not one hundred percent focused.
"The final stage of the loop is Monument, which is the last stage before midday service in the morning and the last stage before the finish in the afternoon.
"This is a favourite stage to many, thanks to its lovely cambered corners, tight junctions and a very scenic finish.
"Overall, this year’s route is a little more challenging than last year, so the winners will have to have driven extremely well to come out on top. If conditions are dry, choosing the correct tyres will be paramount to doing well on the 2023 Nicky Grist Stages."
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