Revitalised Wales Rally GB hailed a success after raising £42,500 for charity

Fans have complained about being stuck in tailbacks as they attempted to see the event at Chirk Castle, while one town council has vowed to improve the event for next year.

But Andrew Coe, chief executive of rally organiser International Motor Sports, today insisted that relocating the event to the area had been "fantastic" and fans had raised £42,500 for charity while also boosting the area's economy.

He said: "Relocating the event in north Wales has been a massive success. It was fantastic to see such huge crowds whether deep in the forests or at the service park. It was great to see rising Welsh rally stars such as Elfyn Evans, Tom Cave and Osian Pryce taking full advantage of the opportunity to prove their potential on the world stage."

But many fans have been left frustrated, with some unable to get into Chirk Castle for the event, while others queued along the A483 for hours.

One fan caught in traffic was Tom Edwards, a 26-year-old engineer from Oswestry, who works in Chirk. He said: "I was sat almost stationary for two hours. They may well say it was a success. I am sure they made loads of money, but it wasn't so much fun for everyone."

Mr Coe said: "The large number of people trying to access some of the stages – notably on the Saturday at Chirk – took everyone by surprise. We have apologised to those who missed out and can assure all fans we are learning lessons and already planning ahead to cater for even larger numbers in 2014."

At a meeting on Monday Newtown Town Council agreed that it would work hard to ensure more is made of the rally visiting the town next year.

Councillor Rina Clarke, town mayor, said: "We brought up ideas such as big screens so everyone can come into town and watch what is happening elsewhere.

"We have got a year ahead of us now to make sure that next year is a very big success."