A spectacular stunt has been staged to promote the Dayinsure Wales Rally GB, adventure tourism in Wales and the increasingly popular availability of short term vehicle insurance.
[aoa id=”1″][/aoa]
The rally, Dayinsure, Zip World and Slate Mountain in Blaenau Ffestiniog joined forces to produce the sensational #Skydriver viral video which sees a rally car speeding down a zip wire over a slate quarry.
Filming for the mind-boggling stunt took place at the Llechwedd Slate Caverns visitor attraction, an award-winning adventure sports and heritage destination which for the very first time will be hosting two thrilling speed tests on the Friday of this year’s rally, which is being held from October 4-7.
The venue is home to Zip World Titan, the largest zip zone in Europe. Without giving the game away, both Slate Mountain and Zip World feature strongly in #Skydriver.
Edited for social media audiences, the 90-second video stars North Wales-based rally driver Matt Edwards, who’s currently leading the Prestone MSA British Rally Championship. There’s also a brief cameo appearance from Dolgellau’s Elfyn Evans who famously won last year’s Dayinsure Wales Rally GB to become the first and only Welsh driver to win a round of the premier league FIA World Rally Championship.
As the #Skydriver cameras roll, Edwards is seen donning his race-suit, gloves and helmet and slipping behind the wheel of a Dayinsure liveried Fiesta rally car. The car is then filmed atop the mountain, the engine is fired up, the wheels spin and the result can be seen online.
“To promote the thriving adventure sports destinations in Wales which, of course, includes the World Championship rally, our original thoughts were to put some of the top drivers down the zip wire… but, together with those at Zip World and our title partners at Dayinsure, we all got a bit carried away,” admitted Ben Taylor,the rally’s managing director.
“We certainly did,” confirmed Dennis Ryan, Dayinsure’s founder and chairman. “We offer short-term online insurance on almost all kinds of vehicles, but this was one car that we certainly wouldn’t be keen to cover!
“On a slightly more serious note, we are entering our third year as title sponsor for the highly-successful Wales Rally GB and backing this stunt has given us a brilliant opportunity to make even more people aware of the many benefits provided by the ever-increasing popularity of cost-effective temporary insurance whether cover is needed for an hour or 30 days.”
For once Evans, no stranger himself to flying high in rally cars, was a just an avid spectator. “The stunt sounded absolutely crazy when I first heard about it and, believe me, it was even crazier to witness. I’m just glad it wasn’t me in the car,” he grinned after witnessing what is believed to be the first-ever feat of its kind performed anywhere on Earth.
Adult admission to the new Slate Mountain speed test is included in the Friday Day Pass priced at £28 (including fees) when purchased in advance with on the gate tickets priced at £30 subject to availability.
