FOLLOWING on from her round one victory at Croft last month, Northallerton rallycross driver Drew Bellerby continued her dream start to the season by winning the second round of the Junior British Rallycross Championship which was held at Lydden Hill in Kent over Easter.

Back behind the wheel of her Fuchs Titan Race and Sayers Road Tankers-supported 1400cc Suzuki Swift, the 16-year-old battled throughout the heats with local driver Bradley Durdin and Stockton on Tees teenager Jennie Hawkes in front of a big bank holiday crowd at the Kent track.

Drew took victories in all three heats to qualify in pole position for the A Final where she romped to victory and in doing so increased her championship lead with Jennie claiming another third position to consolidate third in the title race.

For 19 year old sister Paige, the day wasn’t quite so successful as a practice spin in the Lotus Exige saw damage sustained which affected her progress throughout the heats. Eventually, she qualified on the second row of the Super National B Final and produced an impeccable performance to win from lights to flag to gain a place in the A Final.

There, Paige got a great start and led a group into the joker lap as she set about chasing the lead bunch. However, she lost time with a half spin at Chesson’s Drift and dropped a place but another spin later in the lap saw her drop to sixth where she remained to the finish. Considering it was only her second event in the 270bhp car and to beat 14 other competitors was testament to her ability and is now looking forward to the next round at Pembrey in Wales next month.

There was mixed fortunes for the region’s other drivers who had made the long trip south. Newcastle driver Gareth Wood brought his recently acquired Ford Ka home to second in the Super National B Final, just ahead of Teessider Marty Hawkes in his Peugeot 206. Sadly for Brompton’s Guy Corner, he suffered problems in his Peugeot 206 during the heats and retired.

For Leeming Supercar driver Kevin Procter, it was a day to forget as a problem in the opening heat, when he missed the joker lap leaving him down the grid for the A Final. From there, he made a poor start to run well down the order before eventually crossing the line in seventh place in the Ford Fiesta.

In the BMW Mini class, Ripon’s Kris Hudson got the better of Ferryhill driver to take the victory with Keifer Hudson in fourth but following his roll at Croft, Stockton driver Andy Hawkes brought his Suzuki Swift home to a deserved fourth place in the Swift Sport A Final. Houghton le Spring driver Lance Foster scored a podium with third place in his Mini in the Ripla Retro Rallycross class but for the similar car of Middlesbrough’s Stewart Bowes, it spelt retirement after the first set of heats.

GLORIOUS conditions greeted competitors for the return of Darlington and District Motor Club’s Easter Monday Sprint meeting at Croft for the second round of the SBD Motorsport British Sprint Championship.

Former Croft Circuit manager Jimmy Wilson Petch renewed his acquaintance with the track where competed in the Lotus Elise which he shared with wife Judy. Judy managed a class victory while Jimmy claimed second in class. Richmond driver Simon Cole won his class in his TVR while Sunderland’s Jon Olds also claimed a second place in class in his VW Golf. Darlington’s Mark Leybourne drove well to finish fifth in class in his Westfield.

COUNTY DURHAM road racer Chrissy Rouse made a tough start to his 2015 British Championship season after crashing out of Easter Monday’s Pirelli National Superstock 600 race.

After a crash during first qualifying on Saturday, the pressure was on the rider from Burnopfield to get a fast lap during Sunday’s second qualifying. But his plans were scuppered by a red flag as he was building up to his quickest lap, and he had to settle for 16th spot on the grid

In the race, he got a decent start and instantly began to slice his way up the order, ending the first lap in tenth place on the Team HARIBO Starmix Triumph before moving up to seventh. But on lap 12, he slid off without injury.

Hutton Rudby’s Neil Bainbridge was making his British Championship debut aboard the Kevin Liddle Motorsport-backed Kawasaki in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship where he qualified in 32nd place and went on to finish a battling 19th in the race.

WITHOUT injured Captain Stuart Robson, Redcar Bears lost last week’s League Cup meeting away at a strong Sheffield Tigers team by 47 points to 40.

The Bears could have reduced this score line in heat seven when Bears Hugh Skidmore and Matej Kus had a comfortable lead when Kus’s machine broke down. This was the second time Kus’s machine had failed to finish a race, which resulted in valuable points lost.

With his machine sorted he did score a win in heat 12 as Sheffield’s Captain Simon Stead rode to an impressive five wins. Bears stand in Captain Lasse Bjerre proved a good signing, with a score of 15, which included three wins. Ex Sheffield rider Hugh Skidmore scored 12, which included two wins. The return Leg which should have been on Good Friday at the Bears Media Prima Arena was cancelled due to heavy rain flooding the track.