All Eyes on Weather for Christmas Stages Rally

Details

Category: British Rallying

Wednesday, 22 December 2010

With last year's event postponed until early January 2010 due to the ramifications of the High Court Injunction which nowadays severely restricts circuit activity, Northallerton Automobile Club has secured its traditional date between the Christmas and New Year festivities and it is hoped a bumper crowd will turn out to safeguard the event's future financially, as pressure mounts to allocate both dates for the Specsavers Christmas Stages Rally and the forthcoming Cartersport Jack Frost Stages Rally to the more lucrative summer race dates.

Irrespective as to however the situation unfolds in future, the organisers have once again assembled both quality and quantity in the capacity 95 car entry for the annual festive feast around the North's premier motorsports facility just south of Darlington as a number of the country's top drivers are set to do battle over the 43 miles of stages.

Heading the entry is winner for the last two years Kevin Procter from Leeming Bar who will be again at the wheel of his Subaru WRC as he goes for a record-breaking hat trick. The multi-talented all-rounder has not done much rallying as he has been contesting the European Rallycross Championship in 2010 and along with fellow rallycrosser Dave Bellerby from Northallerton on the maps, the pair will be a tough act to beat.

At number two and hoping to add to their double victory on the Jack Frost Stages at Croft in both 2007 and 2008 will be Pickhill crew Chris Wise and Tracey Taylor-West whereby a Christmas Stages victory would look good on their CV in their formidable 2500cc MG Metro 6R4.

Seeded at number three is former Mitsubishi Challenge winner and runner-up in the British Rally Championship, Ryan Champion from Castleton who will be in action in the ex Pierro Liatti World Championship specification Subaru 555 which he shares with girlfriend Jemma Bellingham from Carlisle.

After missing last year's event, Scotch Corner preparation expert Tony Bardy starts at four and will be at the wheel of his venerable Nissan Sunny GTi-R once again whereby the 2005 winner has ensconced former BTRDA Champion Andrew Constantine from nearby Dalton on Tees as co-driver.

Seeded at number five is leading Scottish driver Dale Robertson and co-driver Paul McGuire in their MSR Motorsport-prepared Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 with York plumber Chris Myers and co-driver Matthew Whattam at six in a similar car. Spectacular Chop Gate brothers John and Mark Gaskin will be in action in their Subaru Impreza and are seeded at seven with the first of the two-wheel drive cars in the shape of the Darrian T90 of Stockton driver Keith Davison and Ripon co-driver Henry Richardson at number eight.

Part time Autograss racer Martyn Tinker from Catterick Village, along with teenage co-driver Jack Morton, will start at number nine in their Lotus Exige with another Scottish visitor in the shape of Martin Elsdon completing the top ten in his Group A version Mitsubishi.

There are plenty more local crews in action on the event which comprises rounds of the Just Ferries 4WD Yorkshire Winter Rally Challenge and AS Performance North of England Tarmacadam Rally Championship 2011.

More famed for his precision driving and stunts at packed stadiums throughout the world and indeed his television appearances in adverts, films and on Top Gear, Darlington's Paul Swift will be at the wheel of the historic-specification Ford Escort Mk1 which he will share with co-driver David Cox, the circuit racer also from Darlington.

Also in Ford Escort action will be Whitby's Nick Cook, Barry Renwick from Consett and Bedale driver Tommi Graham whereas other notable entries include the BMW M3's of Stockton driver Andy Davison and Stanley's Jimmy Knox.

Former British Junior Champion Chris Birkbeck from Brotton wheels out an iconic Triumph TR7 which he shares with Castleton co-driver Joyce Champion whereas one car the crowds will warm to is the World Championship-specification Proton Satria Neo S2000 of young Midlander Ben Mellors who will be co-driven by Richmond's Reg Smith.

Redcar driver Dave Craven makes a comeback along with Darlington co-driver Paul Hudson in their recently-built Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 and he'll be up against Brompton's Darren Grimston and Hebburn co-driver Richie Ross (Mitsubishi), Stockton driver Paul Dolan and Durham co-driver Rachel Fawcett, also in a Mitsubishi, and Barnard Castle pairing John Bainbridge and Giles Dykes in their Subaru.

Sunderland's Jon Olds will be in action in his Nissan Pulsar, as will Bishop Auckland driver Chris Anderson in his Ford Fiesta which he again shares with Durham's Chris Thirling whereas battles for class positions is likely to be intense with Catterick's Chris and Kate Cole (Vauxhall Nova) up against Northallerton journalist Larry Carter and Thirsk co-driver Amanda Cornforth in their Peugeot 206 with the 1400cc Ford Ka of Thirsk pairing Mat Smith and Martin Johnstone also expected to show well.

Witton Gilbert's Andrew Fawcett will be challenging for Class 1 honours, and others to watch include the Peugeot 205's of comeback driver Ian Cartwright from Darlington, Crakehall's Andrew Auld and Darlington's Kev Tennick whereas Sinderby father and daughter Bill Bates and Kari Bosworth will be in action in their Lotus Exige, as will Pickhill duo Geoff Simpson and Mick Johnson (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9).

Utilising all of the tarmac roads around the popular North East venue, with hopefully a massive crowd in attendance as the first of the cars gets underway at 09.05 with the first of eight stages which will run into darkness.

Admission costs £10.00 per adult with accompanied children under 15 admitted free and gates open at 8.00am. There is free car parking and catering is available and entry lists costing 50p are available from the Scout Tent with all proceeds going directly to Northallerton Scouts.