THE fourth round of the MSA British Rallycross Championship in association with the Shannon Group took place at the Pembrey race circuit in South Wales last weekend with a number of local drivers making the long trip.

In round four of the MSA Junior Rallycross series, Northallerton’s Charlie Bean took pole position, courtesy of two wins in the heats, with Drew Bellerby also from Northallerton alongside.

The two teenagers made a good start, but the race was immediately halted when Middlesbrough driver Jennie Hawkes hit the barrier and although it was a heavy impact, she was uninjured and hopes to be back out again at Lydden Hill later this month.

The restart saw Bean take the win in his Suzuki Swift with 16-year-old Bellerby finishing just behind in a close second. It means that courtesy of his second victory of the season, Charlie has edged out a slender two-point advantage over Drew, who won the other round, going into the next round over the August bank holiday.

In the MSA SuperNational final it was Guy Corner from Northallerton who took the win in his Peugeot 206 GTi but he was pushed all the way by local ace Mike Howlin in the Ford Fiesta.

Paige Bellerby, of Northallerton, was also in action and she was debuting her Lotus Exige, coming home in an impressive eighth place although she was just pipped by Bedale driver Cliff Sayer as he made a return to competition in his Lotus Exige, netting seventh for good measure.

Ferryhill’s David Bell continued his good form by winning the BMW Mini class for a third time this season to comfortably lead the class with Durham Mini driver Lance Foster impressing from pole position to a class victory in the Ripla Retro Rallycross Challenge.

Croft Circuit reaches half a century of racing action at its popular annual Nostalgia Weekend, which takes place both tomorrow and Sunday, but it is not just the northeast’s premier motor sport facility that will be hitting the big 5-0 at the weekend’s retroflavoured motoring extravaganza.

Croft Autodrome staged its inaugural event, the Daily Mirror Trophy Meeting, on August 3, 1964. Over the following 50 years, the much-loved North Yorkshire venue has played host to the likes of Ayrton Senna, Niki Lauda, James Hunt, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Sir Stirling Moss and Dario Franchitti as well as championships of the calibre of the BTCC, British Superbikes and British F3.

Formula Three will be wellrepresented at the BARC and HSCC-run event with the traditional stepping-stone series along the well-trodden path to Formula One, which is similarly marking the 50th anniversary of its modern incarnation this year.

A grid of historic F3 machinery from the 1960s will be joined by 500cc F3 cars from a decade earlier as well as a brace of races for the class’ historic Formula Junior precursor.

Amongst the many other crowd-pullers, the Historic Road Sports will feature a 5.7-litre Chevrolet Camaro and a bevy of legendary Lotuses.

The 1970s Road Sports field includes a 1972 Jaguar E-type, a rare 1978 Lancia Monte Carlo and a 1971 Alfa Romeo Bertone.

Historic Formula Ford, Formula Ford 2000, Classic Clubmans and Guards Trophy add to the entertainment, whilst the historic Touring Cars class is sure to be one of the undisputed highlights of the event.

Star cars will include the Alfa Romeo GTA, Ford Lotus Cortina, Volkswagen Beetle, Hillman Imp, Ford Anglia, Mini Cooper and scene-stealing Ford Mustang.

The Blue Oval’s iconic “Pony Car” is another celebrating its golden anniversary in 2014, and at least four of the magnificent all-American muscle cars are due to take to the tarmac at Croft this weekend.

It is, asserts circuit manager Mike Cantelo, a spectacle like no other.

“Now in its fifth year, Croft’s Nostalgia Weekend continues to go from strength-tostrength, and its on-track drama and diversity are staple elements of what makes the event such a roaring success, We have no fewer than 18 races lined up, showcasing machinery spanning the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and a mouth-watering array of almost 200 of the most stunning and exotic racing cars ever built.”

Tickets for the event cost just £13 for entry tomorrow and £18 for Sunday, or £23 for a weekend pass and they can be purchased on the gate. Accompanied children aged 15 and under go free and there is no charge for car parking.