The Hills Ford Stages Rally begins this weekend in Shrewsbury following months of organisation and public controversy over the event.
About 150 rally cars will gather in Shrewsbury town centre on Claremont Street on Saturday for a free public viewing before racing begins on the Weston Park estate on the Staffordshire border later in the afternoon.
On Sunday, five closed-road stages will take place twice across south Shropshire. The stages are located around Cressage, Clee Hill, The Lawley, Dorrington and Linley. Competing cars will take part in time trials, with routes ranging from five to 12 miles in length.
Temporary road closures will be in force during the Sunday stages. Spectators are being encouraged to use designated viewing areas. Spectator car parks will be operated by local charities and community groups, with costs varying by location.
Local concerns and disruption
Residents, businesses and parish councils have raised concerns about disruption during the event and called for it to be cancelled or rerouted.
Farmer Simon Scott at Harnage Grange said the Cressage stage will pass through the middle of his farm. "This is a busy time of year for arable farmers and Sunday will be a write-off," he said. "If cars veer off the road, then we could also see damage to some of the verges." Farmer Scott said tractors would need to be moved into fields up to three days early to avoid disruption.
Tickets and timings
Admission to the town centre event on Saturday is free. Fans heading to Weston Park on Saturday will be charged £10 for advanced tickets or £15 on the gate. Under 16s go free.
Timings and detailed locations for Sunday's stages can be found on the Hills Ford Stages website.
Council approval and economic benefit
The rally proved so controversial that Shropshire Council's leader, Liberal Democrat Heather Kidd, gave councillors a free vote before the authority granted permission for roads to be closed. This is the first time such an event has been held in Shropshire in recent years.
Cheltenham Motor Club, which has organised the race, estimates the economic benefit to Shropshire to be between £300,000 and £500,000 in tourism. The organisers said they have complied with all legal and environmental requirements and gone "the extra mile" to provide residents and concerned parties with advance information.