THE region’s biggest motorsport event of the year rolls into Croft Circuit this weekend when the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship arrives at the North Yorkshire venue to mark the halfway point in the series.

It’s tight at the top, with Newcastle-born Jason Plato heading the standings going into round five, but the Team BMR driver cannot expect to have it all his own way this weekend. For the past two years, Croft has belonged to Plato’s Northern Irish team-mate Colin Turkington, who has taken four wins from the last six races as well as pole in both 2013 and 2014.

Croft is always one of the most popular rounds and, as well as hosting its 50th BTCC race, this is the 18th successive year the track has hosted the series. As well as packed grids and action in the three main feature races, there is plenty of local interest in the support classes.

Bishop Auckland’s Paul Donkin takes to the grid for SV Racing in the Renault UK Clio Cup Championship, while in the Ginetta GT4 Supercup, Bedale’s Chris Ingram will take on Brompton on Swale driver Fraser Robertson as they currently battle it out for third place in the amateur class.

Durham’s Charlie Fagg will be in action in the Kickstart Energy Ginetta Junior Championship, which is led by Yorkshireman Senna Proctor, the third generation of the family to race at Croft. His father Mark was a leading light in saloon car racing a few years ago and his grandfather Tony was a major star in 1980s rallycross in his mighty Ford Capri.

The action starts at 9.30am tomorrow, with the first of five races starting at 2.10pm. Sunday sees the pit walk from 10.30am until 11.15am, followed by the drivers' parade. Racing starts at noon.

Adult admission is £13 tomorrow and £27 on Sunday, with a weekend ticket costing £33, and all are available at the gate. Accompanied children aged 15 and under are admitted free. Car parking and paddock access is also free.

NORTHALLERTON enduro rider Robbie Wallace competed near Pickering last week on his Motoconnection Husqvarna 125. The event, round three of the North-East Enduro Time Card Championship, was held in Langdale Forest and consisted of three laps of 12 miles of woodland tracks.

After heavy overnight rain, the first lap saw a lot of riders getting stuck in boggy ground, but Wallace managed to keep going and on schedule by setting the second best time on the special test. At this point, the organisers decided to shorten the course to two laps as so many riders were very late and the rain had started again.

Wallace set off on lap two soaked to the skin, but a new pair of gloves and goggles helped him see where he was going and hang onto the slippery bike. He dropped a minute on a very tight timed test after a small off before a small crash on the special test dropped him back to fourth place. Despite that, he retains second place in the championship.

COUNTY Durham road racer Chrissy Rouse enjoyed a fierce battle at Snetterton last weekend to cross the line sixth in the fifth round of the Pirelli National Superstock 600 Championship race.

The teenager from Burnopfield had qualified his Team Haribo Starmix Triumph in 14th position after being caught out in the second qualifying session, forcing him to start the 12-lap race from the fifth row.

He made a strong start, making up five places in the first few corners and then picking off another rider to start the second lap in eighth position. He soon found himself battling for sixth and held on to take the position at the flag.

Hutton Rudby rider Neil Bainbridge was also in action at Snetterton, where he contested the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 race. Aboard the Hare Bulk Haulage, Vision Building Services and Kevin Liddle Motorsport-backed Kawasaki, he qualified in 30th place despite a near crash before taking a deserved 22nd place in the race.

REDCAR Bears last week held the annual meeting in memory of Julie Lewis, who gave many years service to Middlesbrough and Redcar speedway teams as a dedicated volunteer.

Bears rider Ben Morley was one of the favourites, competing with 11 other young riders. The crowd saw some exciting racing with outstanding performances by Morley and Max Clegg, who rides for Cradley Heath. Both had three wins and a second place, giving them 11 points each.

They were closely followed on nine points by Rob Shuttleworth, for Coventry, with three wins and Liam Carr, for Buxton, with a win and three second places. Local rider Ben Basford gained some good experience racing at this level and scored a creditable three points.

After 12 heats and the two semi-finals, the line-up for the final featured the four top point-scorers of the night. Morley desperately wanted to win after coming second last year, but Clegg got the gate with Morley hard on his tail. After an exciting race, that was the finishing order, with Carr third and Shuttleworth in fourth.

Last Friday night saw the Bears travel to Edinburgh for a tough away match against the Monarchs, who were last year’s league champions. The Monarchs showed no mercy and thrashed the Bears 65-28.

The Bears have recently signed 22-year-old Danish newcomer Jonas B Andersen, while struggling reserve Rafal Konopka has been released and his place taken by Adam Roynon.