THIS year's Conwy Cambrian Rally will include a refreshed route described as one of the most 'challenging and compact' as well as a classic stage.

The stage, which has not been used in recent years by any rally, and the offer of double points for British Rally Championship competitors means that entries are likely to be keenly sought for the event which is being staged in October. 

Entries for the North Wales based event, which starts and finishes in Llandudno, opened on September 10 for Championship crews and North Wales Car Club members, and will open to all other competitors on Monday, September 18.

A 45-mile route will host the BTRDA and Pirelli Welsh Rally championships.

There will be a 56 mile challenge for British Rally Championship competitors, and the Cambrian Trophy Rally will cover the same demanding National category route under an interclub permit without pre-event recce.

The Bowler Defender Rally series will compete on the trophy event joined by any other crew who want to score championship points over the first 45 miles, but would like additional mileage.

Alyn Edwards, the event’s consultant, said: "The route for the 2023 Visit Conwy Cambrian is one of the most challenging and compact routes we have ever designed, and is a full gravel rally following requests from competitors. The first loop offers two new configurations of stages, one of which is nine miles.

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 "The second half of the event consists of two stages, with the final stage for Interclub competitors being 14 miles. After that the National crews will regroup at Brenig before tackling a nine mile stage to finish. Fifty percent of the route hasn’t been used for several years so the stage surfaces are in excellent condition.”

As in previous years, the event is entirely based in Conwy county, and uses stages in the Clocaenog complex and at Alwen and Elsi, with road mileage kept to a minimum. It has a high profile start and finish on Llandudno promenade, and an added benefit for sponsors is the provision of a hospitality facility at Llyn Brenig which when introduced last year proved to be a great success.

The Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally is a round of the British Rally Championship, the MRF Tyres British Trials and Rally Drivers Association Championship, the Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Championship, Bowler Motorsport Championship, the Mini Rally Challenge, the IPS Paint Challenge, and the Association of North Western Car Clubs Championship.

The event, on October 28, is supported by Conwy County Borough Council and Llandudno Town Council.