NORTHALLERTON motorcycle racer Andrew Stockdale was in great form last weekend on the opening day of the Battle of Britain race meeting held at Croft Circuit.

As part of the traditional two, three and four-wheeled action, jointly organised by Darlington and District Motor Club and North-East Motor Cycle Racing Club, there was plenty of action for the fans to enjoy.

Stockdale took his 1000cc BMW to a triple victory on Saturday to see off the rest of the field, although Thirsk’s Karl Jakeman (1000cc Yamaha), North Cowton’s Graham Ashbridge (Aprilia Mille) and Chester-le-Street rider David Bell (1000cc FZ Yamaha) were also on good form.

Mark McAleer, from Richmond, claimed second place in the opening Sylatech Porsche Club with Pirelli race in his Porsche 996, with Teessider David Botterill in eighth and Jake McAleer 14th in his Porsche Boxster. Drivers well to the fore in the DDMC Northern Sports and Saloon Car Championship included Darlington’s Mark Leybourne, who won class E2 in his Westfield ahead of Northallerton driver Simon Mayne in his Arion.

Local drivers Stephen Kell (Ford Sierra class B1), Martin Whitehouse (BMW class B2) and David Cox (Peugeot class C) upheld honours in another hotly contested race, while on three wheels, Scotton's Greg Lambert took his GLR Honda to sixth position.

LYDDEN Hill, in Kent, was the venue for round six of the 2016 MSA British Rallycross Championship, in association with Odyssey Battery, over the bank holiday weekend and a number of the region’s competitors returned from the track near Dover with varying degrees of success.

Leading the way was Supercar racer Dave Bellerby, from Northallerton, who enjoyed a successful weekend. Qualifying for the final in the Fuchs Titan Race-backed Ford Fiesta, Bellerby made a great start to lead in the early stages, but had to give way to championship leader Dan Rooke for the victory. Despite a late scare on the final lap when he had to defend hard from reigning champion Julian Godfrey, Bellerby’s runner-up place saw him climb to third in the championship standings with two rounds remaining.

Double 2016 event winner Kevin Procter, from Leeming Bar, set the fastest time in Q1, but had to be pushed away from the grid in Q2 with a crank sensor problem on the Procter’s Luxury Coaches-backed Ford Fiesta. The issue recurred in Q3 and again in semi-final one, meaning Procter had to withdraw.

Barnard Castle driver ‘Mad’ Mark Watson was also in action in the Supercar class in his Mend-A-Hose-sponsored Citroen Xsara. He qualified for the semi-finals, but was forced to retire, ending the meeting in 12th place overall.

In the MSA Supernational Rallycross Championship for two-wheel drive cars, Northallerton’s Paige Bellerby was hoping to increase her championship lead, but could only manage fifth in the final in her Fuchs Titan Race-backed Lotus Exige, while East Harlsey driver Guy Corner endured problems in his MP Groundworks-backed Peugeot 206 and retired in the semi-final. Barnard Castle’s Brian Jukes encountered problems during practice in his Audi TT and didn’t make the heats.

Richmond teenager Tom Constantine kept up his bid for honours in the MSA Junior Rallycross Championship with a superb run through the heats to end up second in the final, while Stockton’s Cameron Hawkes managed sixth in the opening heat before retirement.

Romanby’s Drew Bellerby continued her great form in the Suzuki Swift Championship in her Fuchs Titan Race-backed car. She finished fourth in the semi-final before coming home in seventh place in the final to score more important points. Teessider Andrew Hawkes didn’t make it past the heats, but ended up in 14th place in his Hawkes Fire-backed Swift.

In the Ripla Retro Rallycross class, Durham driver Lance Foster brought his BL Mini home in third place, ahead of the similar car of Stokesley’s Stewart Bowes, but Jordan Bowes, from Middlesbrough, retired his Labman Automotive-backed VW Golf after the second heat.

The BMW Mini class again sported a strong local contingent. Ripon’s Kris Hudson claimed second in the final ahead of Stockton driver Martin Hawkes. Boroughbridge driver Frankie Helliwell was fourth, ahead of Stockton’s Jennie Hawkes, while regular front-runners Keifer Hudson, from Ripon, and Ferryhill’s David Bell failed to finish.

ROCKINGHAM Motor Speedway hosted rounds 13 and 14 of the Renault UK Clio Cup last weekend and Scorton’s Max Coates continued to provide the action with live coverage from his car on ITV4.

Coates qualified his Primex Plastics Limited and PLASgran Recycling Limited car fifth for both races, but started the first race from fourth due to a penalty for another driver. The Ciceley Motorsports-prepared car battled to stay in fourth position before making inroads into the battle for second and third place, but an incident on the final lap forced Coates into a spin, meaning he crossed the line in eighth.

The second race was screened live on ITV4 and Coates fell back to sixth at the start. The safety car came out at the end of the first lap and on the restart the BRDC Rising Star moved through to fifth with a decisive overtake at turn two.

He then moved into fourth and then third in a lap-long overtake with the championship leader. He then pulled away to take the third spot on the podium and another Graduate Cup win to remain third in the title race.

THE weather put paid to the SG Petch Redcar Bears versus Ipswich Wolves speedway match last week. The next match at the Media Prima Arena is on Thursday, which sees the Teesside Silver Helmet (Open Trophy), with the Bears hosting the Scunthorpe Scorpions a week later to end the season.