LOCAL fans are again expected to turn out in their thousands for the popular Swift Signs Christmas Stages Rally, which takes place at Croft Circuit on Tuesday and has attracted another top-quality entry.

Entries for Northallerton Automobile Club’s annual extravaganza filled within half an hour and one of the strongest fields assembled in recent years features an eclectic mix of cars and drivers. The event comprises eight stages of varying routes around the North Yorkshire track.

Leading the way will be seven-times winner and defending champion Kevin Procter, from Scruton, who will have Newcastle’s Andrew Roughead on the maps this year. But, instead of the trusty Subaru WRC which has seen him to so much success, the local businessman will wheel out a Procters Luxury Coaches-backed Ford Fiesta which saw him win at Oulton Park last month.

Procter has been victorious in seven out of the past eight years and starts as favourite again, but he faces a challenge from a host of top crews, including two drivers who are regulars on the international scene.

Former Le Mans 24 Hours winner Guy Smith will be behind the wheel of the Ford Focus WRC in which he and Welsh co-driver Patrick Walsh won this year’s Darlington and District MC-organised Jack Frost Stages Rally. Another driver to watch is former British Mitsubishi Challenge winner Ryan Champion, from Castleton, who, along with Motorsport News journalist Jack Benyon, will contest the event in an ONIT Seats-sponsored Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 owned by Durham’s Tony Arnsby.

Scotch Corner preparation expert Tony Bardy and Richmond co-driver Reg Smith will be in action in their Ford Focus WRC, while the Northallerton duo of Graeme Bell and Russ Radford will be hoping for decent weather to maximise their advantage in their Clarion Homes-backed MEM Millington Proton Neo Satria.

Others expected to figure well in the four-wheel-drive class include Jonathan Mounsey and Richard Wardle (Mitsubishi), Bedale falconer Tommi Graham and co-driver Mark Pickering in a similar car and the iconic MG Metro 6R4 of Peter Smith and Graham Wild. Brompton-on-Swale driver Geoff Wright finally gets to drive the recently-acquired, Booth Construction-sponsored Ford Fiesta S2000 he’ll share with Chris Sanderson, while Guisborough taxidermist Dave Hornbrook and co-driver Matthew Sample will also figure well in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4.

But, depending on conditions, it could well be drivers in the two-wheel-drive category who could spring a surprise. Darlington husband and wife Paul and Jessica Swift will be challenging for honours in their PSI Global-backed 2.5-litre Millington Ford Escort Mk2, while the similar car of Charlie Taylor, from Morton on Swale, and Exelby’s John Richardson sees the pair reunited and back on tarmac for the first time in many years.

Catterick’s Martyn Tinker (Lotus Exige), Nick Cook, from Whitby (Ford Escort), and Witton Gilbert driver Ed Todd (GTM Couple) will be battling it out in the two-litre class, while the lower class battles are expected to involve Richmondshire brothers Mark and Andrew Constantine (1600cc Vauxhall Corsa) and Witton Gilbert’s Andy Fawcett in the rapid 1400cc Vauxhall Nova he shares with Durham’s Chris Purvis. But the dark horse could well be the Coach2.com-backed 1400cc Vauxhall Corsa of Bedale’s Joe Cunningham and Northallerton co-driver Marc Fowler, who have been in tremendous form this year.

Other local competitors in action include Brompton’s Darren Grimston, with wife Amy on the notes in their Electrocare-backed 2000cc Honda Civic, while Northallerton father and daughter Andrew and Georgina Smith will be out in their two-litre Ford Escort. Chop Gate brothers John and Mark Gaskin contest the event in a 1600cc Citroen Saxo, with Ingleby Barwick’s Martin Peters and Hutton Rudby co-driver Jason Leaf in a similar car.

Hamsterley farmer David Coatsworth (1400cc MG ZR), Northallerton vehicle technician Andrew Chandler (1300cc Ford Escort) and Redmire’s Andrew Foster (1400cc Vauxhall Nova) hope to upset the more powerful cars and keep an eye out for the LPG-powered Renault Clios of Staindrop pair Colin Butler and St John Dykes and Mickleton duo Andrew and Joe Hutchinson.

Stokesley pair Mark Burton and Zoe Wright (Ford Fiesta XR2), Leeming Bar driver Dave Johnstone and Pickhill’s Bruce Lindsay (Peugeot 205) and the 1300cc Morris Mini of Darlington driver Peter Ellerby and Stockton co-driver Colin Tombs also compete, along with Great Ayton driver Ian Horn (Vauxhall Nova), Bill and Kari Bates, from Sinderby and Pickhill respectively, and Darlington’s Kev and Ashleigh Tennick (Peugeot 306).

Fuchs Titan Race-sponsored Northallerton teenager Drew Bellerby makes her rallying debut with her father Dave, a multiple event winner alongside Kevin Procter, on the notes in their PGM-supported Suzuki Swift, while Durham Subaru crews Rob Burke and Steve Perry and John Pye and John Coxon, as well as Northallerton’s Larry Carter and Mickleton co-driver Tony Walker (Peugeot 206), are all seeded within the top 35.

Gates open at 8am and the first car starts stage one at 9am. Action continues throughout the day, with the final stage run in complete darkness. Admission costs £10 for adults with accompanied children under 15 admitted free. Extensive free parking on hard standing is available. Northallerton Scouts will be selling entry lists in aid of their own funds and, for further information, visit northallerton-ac.co.uk/xmas or croftcircuit.co.uk.

Leading entries. – 1 Kevin Procter and Andrew Roughead (Ford Fiesta); 2 Guy Smith and Patrick Walsh (Ford Focus WRC); 3 Tony Bardy and Reg Smith (Ford Focus WRC); 4 Ryan Champion and Jack Benyon (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9); 5 Paul and Jessica Swift (Ford Escort Mk2); 6 Jonathan Mounsey and Richard Wardle (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6); 7 Graeme Bell and Russ Radford (MEM Millington Proton); 8 Martyn Tinker and TBA (Lotus Exige); 9 Peter Smith and Graham Wild (MG Metro 6R4); 10 Tommi Graham and Mike Bailey (Mitsubishi Lancer).