EAST Harlsey driver Guy Corner made the long trip to Pembrey in South-West Wales worthwhile last weekend when he took the provisional victory in the penultimate round of the Odyssey Battery MSA British Rallycross Championship to keep his very slim chances of landing the MSA Supernational class alive.

Driving the MP Groundworks of Northallerton-backed Peugeot 206, Corner took his second MSA Supernational Rallycross victory of the season ahead of local driver Mike Howlin and Todd Crooks after series leader Tony Lynch saw driveshaft issues end in retirement in the final.

To stand a chance of winning the title, Corner needs to win the final event at Croft next month and set the fastest time in the heats, while hoping Lynch suffers a retirement in practice.

But that could be irrelevant as the result from Pembrey is still provisional following a clash between Corner and Northallerton driver Paige Bellerby which is set to be investigated by the stewards. It followed a coming together in the final which saw Bellerby spin out in her Fuchs Titan Race and Sayers Road Tankers-backed Lotus Exige. She eventually recovered to finish fourth, but it ended her hopes of taking the title after leading the championship for the first half of the season.

In the MSA Supercar class, Northallerton’s Dave Bellerby continued his recent good form with another podium in his Fuchs Ford Fiesta to hold onto third place in the standings. The multiple champion had started on pole position for the final and ran just behind the leading duo for much of the race, but his cause wasn’t helped by a transmission problem late in the race as he crossed the line in third place.

It was a meeting to forget for two other local Supercar competitors as Leeming Bar’s Kevin Procter suffered accident damage in the final before engine problems ruled the Procter’s Luxury Coaches-backed Ford Fiesta driver out, and Barnard Castle driver "Mad" Mark Watson got no further than the heats before the Mend-A-Hose-sponsored Citroen Xsara was sidelined.

Andrew Hawkes, from Stockton, and Romanby’s Drew Bellerby were entrenched in their usual Suzuki Swift Sport battle. Hawkes emerged third in the semi-final before taking fifth in the final, while teenager Bellerby, also third in her semi-final and suffering from a mystery virus which sapped her strength all weekend, bravely brought her Fuchs Titan Race-backed car home in seventh in the final.

Richmond’s Tom Constantine continued his quest for honours in the MSA Junior Championship, where he claimed third in the final in his Constantine Building Services-backed Suzuki Swift, but Cameron Hawkes, from Stockton, retired following the opening heat.

In the BMW Mini class, the usual battle of the locals saw Ripon driver Kris Hudson head home Ferryhill’s David Bell, with Keifer Hudson, from Ripon, in third ahead of Stockton driver Marty Hawkes. The battle of the ladies went the way of Boroughbridge driver Frankie Helliwell in sixth, ahead of Stockton teenager Jennie Hawkes, whose Hawkes Fire-backed Mini didn’t see the chequered flag.

The final round of the series takes place at Croft Circuit on Saturday, October 22, followed by the MSA British Rallycross Grand Prix the next day.

THE 70th anniversary running of the International Gold Cup took place at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough, last weekend.

Stockton’s Daley Mathison scored a second place in the David Jefferies Cup on his 600cc Suzuki, which he backed up with a best place of fifth on his 1000cc Suzuki in the senior class. But he saved his best for last with a battling fourth place in the feature Steve Henshaw Gold Cup race on his MotoDex BMW.

Darlington racer Stephen Degnan also scored a best result of second in the David Jefferies Cup on his 600cc Kawasaki before going on to claim a battling fourth place in the Gold Cup B final on his 1000cc Kawasaki and a ninth place in the senior.

Saltburn veteran Dave Woolams finished seventh on his 400cc Suzuki in the Phil Mellor Trophy race, while Chester-le-Street’s David Bell took a double victory in the F1 Classic race on his 1000cc FZ Yamaha. Northallerton rider Phil Stead failed to finish the opening event on his 600cc Kawasaki after a freak accident in midweek aggravated an injury, meaning he took no further part in the weekend’s action.

In the sidecar class, Scotton’s Greg Lambert scored a best result of fourth on the 600cc GLR along with passenger Juan Canipa, while Rainton driver Tony Thirkell and passenger Dean Kilkenny posted a best result of sixth on the 600cc MR Equipe outfit.

THE dates for two popular local winter rallies have been released to the approval of both competitors and spectators.

The Swift Signs Christmas Stages Rally will again be held at Croft Circuit on bank holiday Tuesday, December 27. Northallerton Automobile Club’s annual event always attracts a quality entry as well as thousands of spectators, despite the usual wintry conditions.

A couple of months later, it’s the turn of the Able UK Riponian Rally, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, February 19. Resurrected a couple of years ago as a joint venture between Whitby and District MC and traditional organisers Ripon MSC, the event uses the forests around Thirsk and Helmsley for the only time in the year and is expected to see multiple winner Charlie Payne, from Ripon, go for another title.

Meanwhile, the Trackrod Rally Yorkshire gets underway this evening near Pickering and sees a capacity 170-car entry contest both the final round of the BTRDA Rally Series and the Mintex Historic Championship, as well as the various support championships.

Spectators can catch the action in Dalby Forest (entry via the toll booth accessed from the A169) from 7.30pm and 9.20pm tonight and between 12.05pm and 2.40pm tomorrow. The only other designated spectator location is at Cropton Forest (via Spiers House) between 1.50pm and 4.30pm. Admission costs £10 per adult per stage.