THE British Superbike Championship pays its one and only visit of the season to the North-East when Croft Circuit hosts rounds 20 and 21 of the 26 race series this weekend.

Billed as Britain’s most popular motorsport series, with nearly 100,000 fans attending the previous two rounds at Brands Hatch and Cadwell Park, it is fast and furious with a truly international flavour which sees the best of the British riders take on stars from France, Australia and Japan.

In the BSB class, Kent’s Leon Camier leads the series on his Airwaves Yamaha ahead of his team-mate James Ellison, but the rider from Kendal in Cumbria will be looking to his local track to pull back some points. However, with the sensational news that former double champion Ryuichi Kiyonari will return for HM Plant Honda this weekend, Camier is not expecting to have it all his own way.

Camier has been a class apart this season, winning 15 of the 19 races held so far and has a healthy 97.5 point lead over three-time race winner Ellison and whilst he can mathematically wrap up the title at Croft, it’s more likely he can take another huge step towards it with a decent showing.

There’s local interest also with the rider in third place in the standings as Stuart Easton from Hawick rides for Guisborough businessman Shaun Muir’s Hydrex Honda Team and he will be joined by new signing Tommy Hill this weekend.

In addition to the two, 20-lap feature races, a full support race programme is included during the weekend.

Local interest will see Yarm-residing South African AJ Venter hoping to score a podium in the Supersport class and Newcastle rider Joe Burns and Blyth’s Jonathan Dickson will be in action in the 1000cc Superstock and National 600cc classes respectively.

Tomorrow’s action commences at 9.30am, but due to stringent noise restrictions and to comply with local authority regulations, the action cannot commence until after noon on Sunday whereby it kicks off with the warm up sessions.

Adult admission costs £6 per adult today, £12 per adult tomorrow and £26 per adult on Sunday.

Children aged 15 and under are admitted free and there is free paddock access and car/bike parking. Weekend tickets costing £32 per adult are still available and for further information call Croft Circuit on 01325-721815.

FOLLOWING the recent fundraising night at the Golden Lion Hotel in Northallerton for injured sidecar racer Nick Crowe, the total to date stands at £11,500.

The Manxman, along with passenger Mark Cox, and who are sponsored by local businessman Dave Hudspeth, was seriously injured in this year’s TT races and has undergone extensive surgery which resulted in the loss of his right forearm.

Over 300 people attended including TT stars John McGuinness, Ian Hutchinson and Steve Plater which included an auction and raffle, whereby a specialist TT winner’s watch was sold for £2850.

Friends and family of Crowe are hoping to raise around £50,000 which will pay for a special prosthetic limb as well as other adaptations to living with his injuries.

Meanwhile, the North Yorkshire Road Racing Supporters Club is hosting a social night next Friday at the Golden Lion in Northallerton which will feature a number of riders who will be attending the International Gold Cup at Scarborough next weekend.

Michael and William Dunlop, sons of the late Robert Dunlop and nephews of the late great Joey Dunlop, as well as Adrian Archibald and others will be taking part in a chat show hosted by former top racer Andy McGladdery. For further details visit www.nyrrsc.net.

COUNTY Durham rally driver Chris Anderson is hoping his run of bad luck will end as he makes the short journey north for the EW Motor Services Lindisfarne Rally on Sunday.

The 18-year-old engineer from Butterknowle, near Bishop Auckland, has suffered misfortune on the last couple of events in his ex Guy Wilks Ford Puma S1600, the latest being on the recent Stobart Rail Pendragon Stages Rally, which saw him and co-driver Chris Thirling retire early on when the wheel studs sheared.

But with the previo u s t r a n s - mission p r o b - l e m s hopefully now behind them, the pair are hoping for a trouble-free run on what will be their third attempt at a multi-venue event in their MSR Motorsport-prepared and Wilkinson Maintenance Ltd, John Cullerton & Sons and Bell’s Truck Sales-sponsored car.

Following a year’s absence from the Otterburn Military Ranges, Tynemouth and District Motor Club have organised a route which will consist of ten special stages totalling around 100 miles and the event is also a qualifying round of the AS Performance North of England Tarmacadam Rally Championship which Anderson is contesting this year also.

There is no spectator access, although marshals are required for the safe and successful running of this event and anyone who is able to assist with setting up, please click on to the marshals page at www.tynemouthmotorclub.

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THE dates for two of the most popular events on the club rallying calendar have been announced with both the Specsavers Christmas Stages Rally and Cartersport Jack Frost Stages Rally taking place at Croft over winter.

The Northallerton AC-organised Christmas Stages Rally takes place on Monday, December 28, and will see a star-studded entry watched traditionally by thousands of spectators. Darlington & District Motor Club’s Jack Frost Stages Rally will take place at the North Yorkshire venue on Sunday, January 17.

Both events are regularly oversubscribed and feature some of the country’s leading drivers. Last year, local businessman Kevin Procter, from Leeming, along with Northallerton co-driver Dave Bellerby, won the Christmas Stages in their Subaru WRC, with flamboyant Cumbrian racing team boss Paul Bird, along with Northallerton’s Ian Windress winning the Jack Frost in their similar car.

Both crews have signalled their intention to defend their respective titles and regulations will be out shortly whereby potential competitors are urged to apply quickly for the 90 slots available at each event.