THE Nicky Grist Stages hosts a round of the The MSA British Rally Championship (BRC) for the first time in its 36-year history.

To celebrate this, Quinton Motor Club has organised a new two-day mixed-surface rally, with 45 stage miles on gravel on Saturday July 9, followed by a further 60 stage miles on Tarmac over the Epynt military ranges on Sunday July 10.

The previous round was a one-day, fast and furious shoot-out in Scotland, Britain’s premier rallying championship heads to Wales for a two-day summer spectacular.?Based at the Royal Welsh Showground near Builth Wells the rally is a unique challenge for the BRC crews, with the rally being staged on two different surfaces.

?On the first day, competitors will take on 45 miles of fast and flowing gravel through the forests surrounding Tirabad and Sennybridge. Teams will then have two-and-a-half hours on Saturday evening at the Showground to change their cars from gravel set-up to asphalt specification in preparation for some 60 fearsome miles over the Epynt Ranges on Sunday.

The high-speed ribbon of Tarmac floats over the land and takes no prisoners with its blind crests, flat-out jumps and challenging corners. Those brave enough to conquer the stages will receive the spoils at the Ceremonial Finish in the Showground.

Competitors from all corners of the UK and Europe will converge on Builth Wells while local stars Sara Williams and Damian Cole will be hope to battle with the top drivers on stages they both know well.

BRC Championship Manager Iain Campbell has high praise for the Nicky Grist Stages team and is looking forward to the mixed-surface challenge. "The Nicky Grist Stages is going to be a real test for the BRC crews," he said. ?

The new-look BRC takes in seven events across the British Isles as it tours England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland before culminating on the iconic lanes of the Isle of Man.

Asphalt special stages and gravel tests will see the country’s best drivers in the best cars fight for overall supremacy on the best events, while the action will feature throughout the year on Channel 4 and BT Sport. Nicky Grist knows a thing or two about rallying.

Still as actively involved in the sport as ever – he owns Nicky Grist Motorsports near Abergavenny and is an MSA Academy Co-driver Training Coach – this is the sixth year that Nicky has sponsored the award-winning event.