DARLINGTON precision driver Paul Swift makes a competitive return to his roots when he contests the Ken Wharton International Autotest at the Arrow Mill Hotel, Alcester, in Warwickshire, in his classic Mini Cooper this weekend.

It's the 60th anniversary of the Hagley and District Light Car Club event, which comprises four-driver teams representing England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Each team must have a Mini, a sports car, a large saloon and an Autotest Special and the team taking the fewest number of seconds to complete all the tests wins.

Swift, who won many championships in the sport in his early years of competition, said: “I was invited by the Scotland team captain Gordon Clendinning to join his team. He has inspired a resurgence over the border this year and it’s very fitting they should be represented at the 60th anniversary.

"I was delighted to be asked and hope to put in a good performance. The competition will be very hot, it's the highlight of the year for all the competitors and the sport has seen a lot of technical development over the past few years, so we all need to be on our game to stand a chance.”

THERE were plenty of reasons to celebrate for local competitors when the Ford Parts Cheviot Stages Rally took place on the Otterburn military ranges in Northumberland last Sunday.

Barnard Castle co-driver Giles Dykes ended up sampling the winners' champagne when he guided David Tinn to a victory in their Proton Satria Neo around the fast asphalt roads. Second place went the way of another local co-driver when Northallerton’s Ian Windress partnered Richard Clews to runner-up spot, just over a minute down on the winners.

Alistair Hutchinson, from Mickleton, co-driven by son Joe, finished seventh overall in his LPG-powered Renault Clio to not only win their class, but also clinch the AS Performance North of England Tarmacadam Championship after main rival Barry Renwick retired.

Thirkleby husband and wife Jon and Alison Trenholme had a good run in their Subaru Impreza to take 14th overall and third in class, just one place and two seconds ahead of the Ford Escort of Northallerton’s Steve Retchless and co-driver Sasha Heriot.

Marton’s Geoff Glover powered the rear-wheel drive Vauxhall Astra he was sharing with Keith Barker to 21st overall and fifth in class, while the BMW M3 of Consett’s Keith and Jimmy Knox ended up 38th overall and seventh in class. Redmire pair Andrew and Rachel Foster battled hard in their 1400cc Vauxhall Nova to end up in 42nd overall and fifth in class, but the tough terrain of Otterburn accounted for half a dozen other local crews.

For Durham’s John Nicholson and co-driver Peter Littleford, their problems began before the event when their Ford RS2000 refused to start on the morning of the rally, while SS4 claimed Seaham driver Gary Laverick and Sunderland co-driver Phil Kenny when a wishbone broke on their Ford Puma.

SS6 saw the demise of Barry Renwick, from Consett, and Whickham co-driver Paul Hughes in their Proton Millington, as well as Pickhill’s Bruce Lindsay, who was co-driving the Ford Focus S1600 he was sharing with Michael Farmer.

Bishop Auckland driver Tristan Pye and co-driver Andrew Falconer were using the event as a test for this weekend’s Mull Rally, so withdrew before the finish, while the County Durham pairing of Ed Todd and Andy Brown had a fraught day with various problems, including an off, and eventually were out of time in their GTM.

Meanwhile, at Mallory Park in Leicestershire, Northallerton’s Georgina Smith guided the 1600cc Peugeot 206 driven by Larry Carter to 24th place overall and sixth in class on the Harold Palin Memorial Stages Rally.