MELBOURNE Airfield, near York, was the venue for last Sunday’s Lookout Stages Rally, which featured plenty of success for the local crews who headed for the annual Trackrod Motor Club-organised event.

Leading the way with a superb third place overall and a class win was Whitby driver Nick Cook, with his son Joe on the maps, in the Lealholm Auto Services-backed Ford Escort Mk1.

The pair took best two-wheel drive honours behind a pair of four-wheel drive Subarus and, despite the slippery and muddy conditions, were only a minute behind the winners after the 60 stage-mile event.

Thirsk driver Shaun Wilson, with Tyneside HGV driver Rachel Heel in the co-driver’s seat, brought his Subaru Impreza home in sixth overall and second in class, while South Kilvington landlord Nick Kitching, along with co-driver Andrew Trollope, finished in ninth overall, taking the historic class win in their Ford RS2000 for good measure.

Twelfth place overall, and third in class, went the way of Northallerton pair Kevin Franks and Craig Walley, who were having a rare outing in their KF Motorsport and Northallerton Tyre and Battery-backed Ford Escort Mk5.

Two places further back was the VW Golf GTi of Kev Hullah, from Saltburn, and co-driver Chris Harding, from Marske, who ended up fifth in class.

Another driver making a comeback after a while out was West Rounton’s Nige Keen in the Keenspeed Ford Escort Mk2 he was sharing with experienced Mickleton co-driver Tony Walker. The pair were having a good run, but a collision at high speed with a round bale dropped them down the order and they eventually finished 20th overall, although they did win an award for second in class.

Not so fortunate were Consett’s Jimmy and Alistair Knox, who broke a wishbone on their BMW 316 on the very first stage, causing retirement, while the fancied Mitsubishi Evo 4 of Guisborough taxidermist Dave Hornbrook, co-driven by Matthew Sample, slid off the road on SS2. They were left stranded in an adjacent muddy field and were unable to extract themselves.

Meanwhile, further south, a couple of local crews were in action on Rally North Wales, which comprised the second round of the 2016 Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship.

Ripon’s Matthew Robinson, along with co-driver Sam Collis, brought his Robinson Road Planing-backed Fiat 131S home in seventh overall and second in class, while the Ford RS1600 Mk1 of Easingwold driver Warren Philliskirk, with Helperby’s Nigel Hutchinson on the notes, claimed 28th overall and second in class.

AFTER an abortive season last year, it was a great return to the sport for Scorton’s Max Coates when he contested the opening round of the Renault UK Clio Cup as part of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch last weekend.

Driving the Ciceley Motorsport-prepared car, Coates finished in sixth and eighth place overall, but more importantly, he took a double class win in the Graduate Cup to comfortably lead the series going into the next round at Donington Park next weekend.

LOCAL speedway team Redcar SG Petch Bears were in action in the opening leg of the Tyne Tees Trophy on Thursday last week against local rivals Newcastle Diamonds, but sadly the meeting was abandoned owing to heavy rain.

The Bears were struggling at the time, with the Diamonds holding a 12-point lead when a cloudburst flooded the track, making it impossible to continue. As fewer than 10 heats had been run, the meeting will have to be rescheduled.

Last Saturday night, the Bears were away to Berwick Bandits, who won 54-36 in the return leg of the Tweed Tees Trophy to give them an aggregate win of 97-83.

THIS weekend sees the opening round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Silverstone, with plenty of local interest in the paddock.

Knaresborough rider Dan Linfoot remains with the factory Honda Racing Team in BSB, while in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship, Durham’s Chrissy Rouse (Mission Racing BMW) and Tynesider Barry Teasdale (BHR BMW) will take on South Shields rider Josh Corner (NEI Kawasaki) and Hutton Rudby’s Neil Bainbridge (KLM/Hares Kawasaki).

Saltburn’s Davey Todd contests the Superstock 600 series on his Morello Racing Kawasaki, while in the Ducati Tri-Options Cup, Middlesbrough rider Rick Rooney will be in action on his Highsparks Motorsport 899 Panigale.