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Thousands of motorsports fans will witness history being made as the World Rally Championship races on British public roads for the first time.

Wales Rally GB gets underway on Thursday - promising a weekend of "adrenaline and excitement" .

The action gets under way in Abergele in the evening - with stages on Sunday on closed-off streets in Llandudno.

In total, 150 drivers will compete in stage 11 of the championship, which was won by Welshman Elfyn Evans last year.

A change in the law means the Llandudno stage will be the first time the rally has been held on public streets in Britain.

"We have an unsurpassed breed of stunning cars, the most exciting title race in memory, a local hero in Elfyn Evans, all the classic stages in the Welsh forests plus an amazing finish on the streets of Llandudno," said the event's managing director Ben Taylor.

On Friday, competitors will race near the Clocaenog Forest in Ruthin before drivers later tackle a new course at Slate Mountain near Snowdon.

Saturday features five stages near Aberystwyth.

On Sunday, crews will race around the Great Orme before going on to the closed streets of Llandudno - with the finish line being on the town's seafront.

Culture, tourism and sports minister Lord Elis-Thomas said north Wales is "very familiar with adventure", adding: "For a weekend in October, Wales Rally GB becomes part of the family and adds to the adrenaline and excitement."

Gwynedd's Elfyn Evans will aim to take back-to-back titles on the 200 mile (312km) course, after becoming the first Welshman to win the rally last year.