DARLINGTON and District Motor Club’s annual Autogas 2000 Jack Frost Stages Rally, in association with Cartersport, which takes place at Croft Circuit on Sunday, will see plenty of local crews challenging the established national runners in round four of the Motorsport News Circuit Rally Championship, in association with MSVR.

With many of the country’s leading lights in attendance, it will be a major battle for honours, but two local drivers have already seen their plans either thwarted or scuppered before a wheel has been turned.

Originally seeded at number one, the problems which Scotch Corner’s Tony Bardy suffered on the recent Christmas Stages Rally have seen him withdraw his Ford Focus WRC. Then Consett driver Barry Renwick suffered engine problems with his Proton Millington up at Knockhill, in Scotland, last weekend, which means he’s a doubt at number two.

Championship front-runner Ashley Field (Darrian) starts at three ahead of the Ford Focus WRC of Teesside driver Peter Stephenson at number four, before a trio of rapid Ford Escorts sees Scotsman James Sharrock at number five, Darlington’s Paul and Jessica Swift at number six and the Northallerton pairing of Graeme Bell and Russ Radford at number seven.

Another championship regular is Nigel Mummery (Ford Focus) at number eight, while former national asphalt champion John Stone debuts his new 2.5-litre Ford Fiesta with number nine on the doors. County Durham pair Stuart Walker and Jack Morton hope to repeat Walker’s Knockhill heroics last weekend, when he finished third in the Skoda Fabia S2000, and they complete the top ten.

Other locals to look out for include the rapid LPG-powered Renault Clio of Mickleton’s Alistair and Joe Hutchinson, who will do battle with Staindrop driver Mark Thompson and co-driver Thomas Bruce in their two-litre Peugeot 206.

Honours for the 1400cc class are expected to be fought out between Bedale driver Joe Cunningham and co-driver Marc Fowler in their Vauxhall Corsa and Witton Gilbert’s Andy Fawcett and co-driver Chris Purvis, who will be looking to make amends in their Vauxhall Nova after retiring from the Christmas Stages.

Thirkleby husband and wife Jon and Alison Trenholme make a rare visit to Croft in their Subaru, while fellow villagers Rob Herrington (Ford Escort Mk2) and son Michael (Subaru Impreza) will also be in the thick of the action. Another husband and wife team are Brompton’s Darren and Amy Grimston in their Honda Civic, while also keeping it in the family will be Sinderby father and daughter team Bill and Katy Bates in their Lotus Exige.

Stockton’s Martin Peters and Hutton Rudby co-driver Jason Leaf should be challenging for 1600cc honours in their Citroen Saxo, but can expect a challenge from Redmire crew Andrew and Rob Foster (Vauxhall Nova), Great Ayton’s Ian Horn and Redcar co-driver Bob Brown and Durham duo Edward Todd and Andy Brown in their GTM Coupe.

Northallerton’s Georgina Smith moves from the co-driver’s seat of her father Andrew’s Ford Escort to accompany Larry Carter in the Peugeot 206 and others to keep an eye on are Richmond driver Terry Searle and Darlington co-driver David Cox in their Rover, Stockton pair George Scott and Ian Jackson (Mitsubishi) and Darlington driver Colin Butler in the Subaru he shares with Andrew Hutchinson.

Mark Gaskin, from Chop Gate, takes over from brother John at the wheel of their Citroen Saxo, while Northallerton brothers Andrew and Richard Chandler (Ford Escort), Topcliffe’s Nick Kitching (Ford RS2000), Dave Johnstone, from Leeming Bar (Peugeot 205), and Northallerton pair Ben and Kev Wilson (Citroen AX) will also be in action.

The event will again comprise eight stages totalling about 45 stage miles on the asphalt of the North-East’s only permanent race track, as well as a number of regional championships.

The first car is scheduled to start at 9am and it is expected that the final stage will run in darkness as usual.

Gates open at 8am and admission costs £10 for adults, with accompanied children aged 15 and under admitted free. Extensive free parking on hard standing is available, but on a first-come, first-served basis. For further information, call Croft Circuit on 01325 721815 or visit croftcircuit.co.uk.

Meanwhile, night owls in the region can experience a taste of yesteryear when the annual Measham Rally takes place tomorrow evening.

Organised by the Vintage Sports Car Club, about 50 competitors in mainly pre-Second World War cars will traverse a route around North Yorkshire, starting from Thirsk Auction Mart at 9.01pm, but spectators can see the cars beforehand at scrutineering, which takes place from 5.30pm at the same venue.

The emphasis on such events is correct navigation and the maximum average speed for the entire rally is less than 30mph. All cars are suitably silenced for such events, which take place throughout the country during the year.

The route covers about 180 miles in total and the cars will be in the Bullamoor region of Northallerton at about 4.30am on Sunday morning.