WHILE always popular with local competitors and spectators alike, the two winter rallies to be held at Croft Circuit, near Darlington, over the next few weeks have seen demand for places at an all-time high, with both events already over-subscribed.

The Northallerton Automobile Club-organised Swift Signs Christmas Stages Rally, which takes place at the North Yorkshire racetrack on Sunday, December 27, saw the first available 80 entries snapped up within 12 hours of opening, with many of the country’s leading drivers securing their place, including former national and British champions Steve Perez, John Stone and Ryan Champion, as well as local aces Kevin Procter, Tony Bardy and Paul Swift.

As is traditional on this event, the organisers select the remaining 10 entries at their discretion. Entries finally close on Monday and, with 30 crews on the reserve list so far, it’s going to be a tough task for the committee, with the likes of top locals Ian Woodhouse, John Gaskin, Geoff Wright, John Pye and Ian Colman all vying for places with drivers such as Le Mans winner Guy Smith and BTRDA champion David Wright.

The Autogas/Cartersport Jack Frost Stages Rally takes place three weeks later on Sunday, January 17, and also boasts an over-subscribed entry list which saw the 90 available places full within a day.

The event is traditionally a little slower to fill due to the new calendar year imposing a number of additional financial burdens on competitors, such as the replacing of any "out-of-date" seats, harnesses, helmets and overalls as required by the sport’s governing body, plus obtaining new licenses. Forward head restraints will also be compulsory for both drivers and co-drivers in 2016.

But with this year’s annual Darlington and District Motor Club-organised event comprising the fourth round of the Motorsport News Circuit Rally Championship, in association with MSVR, 13 reserves are listed so far and, with entries not closing until January 9, a few more names are expected to be added to the list in the hope of getting a run.

Early entries for the Jack Frost include most of the championship front-runners, such as Ashley Field (Darrian) and the powerful Ford Escorts of James Sharrock and Peter Jackson. They will take on locals Graeme Bell and Paul Swift in similar cars, while John Stone (Ford WRC), Peter Stephenson (Ford Focus WRC), Barry Renwick (Proton Millington) and Peter Smith (MG Metro 6R4) add flavour.

Further details can be found via northallerton-ac.co.uk, darlington-motor-club.org.uk and croftcircuit.co.uk

A HUTTON Rudby doctor who races cars in his spare time has recently written a book entitled Murtyl’s Diaries First Tears.

Dr Chris Pearson is a doctor of traditional medicines who treats private patients, both human and equine. His inspiration to start writing the Murtyl Diaries was his sporting knowledge of motorcycles and his interest in historic vehicles and racing drivers from before the Second World War.

A former motorcycle racer, Dr Pearson started racing cars in 2014 and the 1935 Austin Seven he and his team began racing features in the pages of his captivating book. The story’s heroine is Murtyl, a brave and beautiful wartime spy who meets and associates with some of Grand Prix motorsport’s earliest stars.

Brilliantly researched and written, the story combines fact, fiction and adventure. It is based on real events and features real people from the Second World War.

Dr Pearson said: “What I’d like to get across is that, although Murtyl is an amalgamation of 42 ladies who went into France as spies and radio operators, of which only seven returned, they were all unbelievably brave, unselfish and allowed us to live the lives we live today.

“So she’s an amalgamation of them all, to let people know how fantastic they were. Sadly, the second-last lady of the 42, Alix D’Unville, died on November 10. The three Grand Prix drivers that the story heads towards and is based around – Willie Grover-Williams, Robert Benoist and Jean-Pierre Wimille – all existed.”

A number of genuine local motorsport competitors are mentioned in the book, as well as sponsors and mechanics. To obtain a copy of the book, visit murtyl.com. It is also available in hard or electronic copy via Amazon or goodreads.com.

THE 2015 SG Petch ANECCC Stage Rally Championship came to a conclusion in the Lake District with the recent Grizedale Stages and, after 11 events, the title fight went all the way to the last round of the championship.

Carlisle’s Barry Lindsay is the 2015 champion driver for the second year in succession, while Giles Dykes, from Barnard Castle, is the champion co-driver.

Mat Smith, from Thirsk, Dykes’ regular driver in his blisteringly quick Proton Satria 1400, took second overall in the drivers’ table as Malton rally legend Steve Bannister claimed third.

Other local award winners are Thirlby’s Ben Cree, who took the class 2 win, Darlington husband and wife team Paul and Jessica Swift, who took class 4 honours, and Kepwick’s Peter Stephenson, who won class 5.

The awards will be presented on Sunday, January 17, at the Jack Frost Stages, immediately after the event awards have been presented.