Your chance to be part of history - win a trip in a rally car at the Sunderland Festival

Motor sport fans are in for a treat at the 2013 Sunderland Festival (14-16 June). On Saturday 15 June, Sunderland will gain first hand experience of the high adrenalin sport of special stage rallying.

Highlighting the automotive industry’s importance to the North East’s economy, a specially prepared rally stage is to be installed in Herrington Country Park. For one day only, the spectacle of powerful cars, driven by Britain’s top rally drivers, is a first for the Sunderland Festival, now in its third year.

Now there’s a chance for you to compete to win the wildest ride you will ever take through Herrington Country Park. Buckled up alongside a top class driver, two competition winners can decide if they want to be a rally navigator and try to call the special stage pace notes, telling the driver which direction to take, or they can hang on, enjoy the ride and compete for the prize of ‘Best Scream of the Day’!

All you need to do to enter is send your answer to the following question along with your name, address and contact telephone number to [email protected] by 2.00pm on Wednesday 12th June 2013.

Question: Where is the Sunderland Festival taking place in 2013?

The Sunderland Rally Experience will give festival goers a taste of what may become a key future event for Sunderland; as the city considers bringing prestigious international rallying to the region. Affectionately known as ‘the people’s motor sport’, rallying would promote the region through sustained international media coverage and bring substantial economic benefits.

Sure to be a real highlight of the popular Sunderland Festival, which this year celebrates Sunderland’s 21 years as a city, the rally action will take place on Saturday 15 June.

Leader of Sunderland City Council, Councillor Paul Watson said:" We are always on the lookout to bring something new and exciting to our city and the surrounding area. With the Sunderland International Airshow, stadium concerts and the Sunderland Festival we have shown year after year that Sunderland is a great place to hold big events.

"This rally 'taster' is a fantastic opportunity for people to see first hand some of the skill, dedication and preparation needed to drive a special rally stage. It also gives organisers and other interested parties a chance to sit down and talk through potential plans and opportunities."

Building on Sunderland Live’s reputation for delivering first class events that capture the imagination of the people and stimulate the regional economy, the Sunderland Rally Experience will follow in the footsteps of the established and incredibly successful Sunderland International Airshow and the Sunderland Festival of Running

Spectators are encouraged to arrive before the main event opens at 11am - the rally stage will open at 1030am, the cars will run for approximately two hours. Witness the spectacle and be part of history, at this year’s Sunderland Festival.

Sunderland Festival is FREE to attend.