UP AND COMING County Durham road racer Daley Mathison was in action at last weekend’s International Gold Cup meeting at Oliver’s Mount on the outskirts of Scarborough where he was taking on the established stars of the Isle of Man TT Races.

The 23 year-old construction worker, from Murton, was hoping to continue his great form this season which has already seen him with success at all the major road races including a memorable victory at the Ulster Grand Prix last month.

Saturday saw him finish a superb third behind established stars Ivan Lintin and Lee Johnston in the opening leg of the David Jefferies 600cc Trophy before beating TT legend John McGuinness in the Senior race later in the day to finish an impressive second.

Sunday saw another massive crowd at the track high above the report’s South Bay, whereby racing had to be suspended to allow cars to cross the track into an overflow car park such was the volume, and again Mathison continued his good form.

Another third place in the 600cc race gave him third overall in that class before claiming another podium in the Senior race to add to his tally but it was the big-money Steve Henshaw Gold Cup that Mathison’s hopes were high.

From the front row of the grid where he had qualified in second place, Daley didn’t get the best of starts and as he tried to make his way through the pack on the opening lap, he collided with another machine on the high-speed back straight which saw him crash out. The race was immediately red-flagged as medics attended to Daley before transferring him to the circuit medical centre for assessment.

Mathison was later transferred to a local hospital for further checks which thankfully revealed no serious injuries although his 1000cc Suzuki was destroyed in the incident.

Also in action was Chester-le-Street rider Dave Bell who claimed a pair of third place finishes on his FZ750 Yamaha in the Classic Superbike races whereas Thirsk sidecar racer Tony Thirkell, along with passenger Dean Kilkenny, scored a couple of fifth place finishes over the weekend aboard their 600cc Honda Equipe outfit.

OVERSEAS interest in the 2014 Roger Albert Clark Rally on 28/30 November is running well ahead of expectations after four of the first 10 entries were lodged by crews from mainland Europe.

The first batch of entries included Bas Jansen/Ruud van den Houdt (Ford Escort Mk2) and Armand Adriaans/Anne-Marie (Porsche 911) from the Netherlands as well as two husband and wife crews from Germany: Thomas and Martina Schulz (Ford Escort Mk2) and Thomas and Andrea Kleinwachter (Porsche 911).

“We’re delighted with the level of interest from Europe,” said Rally Manager Colin Heppenstall. “It seems that Kielder is very well known in Europe and the crews are keen to come and sample these stages.”

In the Open Rally, early entries include Martyn Hawkswell and Nick Welch (Ford Escort Mk2) who will be bidding for a fourth straight win. If they do, they will better Steve Bannister’s three Open Rally wins from the first three editions of the rally in 2004, ’05 and ’06.

With the rally start, finish and HQ all based in Sunderland, the route will take in 28 special stages in a total competitive route of 187 stage miles. With 568 road miles in an event that runs for just 48 hours, the 2014 edition is expected to be the toughest yet. It will also be the second longest gravel rally in the UK this year, sitting just behind the 192 stage miles of Wales Rally GB.

Heppenstall has recently completed his final major route survey and says that the stages are in outstanding condition. The Forestry Commission team had been busy re-grading some sections when Heppenstall visited the forests. “The work they have done is beautiful. For instance, the 13-mile Whitehill stage, which is also known as Clintburn, is like a motorway,” said Heppenstall.

For more details about the Roger Albert Clark Rally, please visit www.rogeralbertclarkrally.org

FOLLOWING last year’s inaugural BTRDA Rallycross event at Croft in November, whereby the 64 available places were filled within a couple of weeks, this year’s event which takes place on Sunday 16th November also looks like being another popular event.

Already, around 50 drivers have entered for the event which comprises the penultimate round of the BTRDA championship with many local drivers in contention for the various titles as well as a number of occasional competitors, including some in cars which haven’t been seen for a long time.

In addition to the normal classes, organisers are planning on allowing both autocross cars and rally cars to compete in their own classes. The rally car class will see cars running at five second intervals and places are strictly limited. Any drivers who haven't received an entry form or require further information are asked to contact John Rook via email at clubmansrallycross@yahoo.co.uk.

The evening before, on Saturday 15th November, there will be the BTRDA Dinner and 2015 Championship launch which will take place at Jersey Farm Hotel near Barnard Castle whereby all drivers, teams, spectators and marshals are invited to attend.

Tickets for the carvery meal are strictly limited and cost from £13.50 so early booking is advisable. Either telephone the hotel on 01833 638223 or email: mark@jerseyfarm.co.uk to reserve your places.

A coach has been organised to transport people form Croft Circuit to Jersey Farm and back which will leave at 6.30pm on Saturday and return at11pm. Cost for this is £5.00 per person but must be booked in advance using the above details.

Transporters or motorhomes can be parked at the hotel at no extra charge and limited accommodation is available so contact the hotel, quoting ‘Rallyx’ to obtain a discounted rate for the night.