EAGLESCLIFFE driver Bill Addison had to overcome one of the best grids assembled in recent years and some freak wintry weather to continue his season in great fashion at the BARC Championship meeting held at Croft Circuit last weekend.

With almost 40 competitors registered for the Darlington and District MC-organised Northern Sports and Saloon Car Championship, Saturday’s opening race saw a heavy hail shower mid-race make driving conditions tricky, but the Addison Plant Hire-backed Caterham Superlight R400 driver went on to claim second place at the flag.

But things got better for the former Croft champion on Sunday when he stormed to an easy victory in the weekend’s second outing to add important points to those he scored in the opening round of the series at Oulton Park over Easter.

Plenty of other local competitors were in action at North Yorkshire’s only permanent race circuit. York’s Michael Cutt powered his BMW M3 to third on Saturday, but the defending champion could only manage fifth the following day.

Hexham’s Matthew Kirkby finished with a best result of fourth overall on Saturday in his Caterham C400, but took a pair of class wins for good measure, while Ingleby Barwick driver Stephen Kell had a mixed weekend in his Ford Sierra 4x4. He took sixth overall and a class win on Saturday before problems relegated him down the order to 26th on Sunday.

Daniel Irving, from Stanley, followed up his seventh overall and second in class with a class victory on Sunday in his Mazda MX5, while the BMW M3 of Boroughbridge driver Kirk Armitage took a brace of eighth place finishes which also resulted in class victories.

Ripon’s Neil Claxton posted a best result of ninth and another class win in his 1300cc Suzuki SC100, while the Darlington duo of Mark Laybourne (Westfield) and David Cox (Peugeot 205) were also class winners, Cox doing the double in class C.

The mighty 5.2-litre Triumph TR7 driven by Darlington’s Martin Lofthouse took the Historic class wins on both days, while placed an impressive 15th overall in both races, and the Caterham of Yarm’s Neil Finnighan took a pair of third place finishes.

Stephen Craggs, from Darlington, couldn’t match his opening race third in class and 18th overall when he retired his Ford Fiesta on Sunday, but it was better news for experienced Stockton racer David Botterill in his Porsche 944 as his 20th overall and second in class on Sunday bettered his previous day’s performance.

Simon Mayne’s Arion S2 saw the Northallerton driver pick up a class win on Sunday en route to a best result of 17th overall, while Alan McPherson’s unique Peugeot 206 claimed a best result of fourth in class and 22nd overall on Sunday for the Consett man.

Louise Claxton, from Ripon (Peugeot 106), and Catterick’s Theo Brooker (BMW M3) overcame the disappointment of Saturday retirements to claim second and fourth in their respective classes on Sunday, but a problem in Saturday’s race for Ford Fiesta driver Clive Cooksey, from Middlesbrough, proved terminal and ended his weekend early.

A FEW hardy local crews ventured to the Midlands to contest the popular Horiba D'Isis Stages Rally at MIRA last Saturday with varying fortunes. Mickleton garage proprietor Alistair Hutchinson and Barnard Castle co-driver St John Dykes came away with a brilliant sixth overall and third in class in their LPG-powered Renault Clio.

Pickhill’s Bruce Lindsay was co-driving for Kevin Bennett in the Ford Sapphire Cosworth, but got off to a bad start when the car overheated on SS1 and then suffered fuel starvation on the following stage. A top 30 time followed with a clean run on SS3 before a broken driveshaft saw them encounter more problems on SS4, but they still managed to claim a finish in 52nd place overall.

The Ford Escort Mk2 of Ian and Stephen Woodhouse, from Hutton Rudby, was retired with a bent axle on SS4.

THE Redcar SG Petch Bears speedway team were finally able to stage their Premier League match against Peterborough Panthers on Thursday last week after cancelling several meetings due to poor weather conditions.

They were racing without injured captain Lasse Bjerre, but the Bears performed well in the early heats and were only two points behind a strong Panthers team after five heats. However, the Panthers won the next three heats to increase their lead to 12 points before Bears nominated captain Hugh Skidmore to ride in heat nine wearing the black and white helmet colours, which scores double points. He promptly won the heat, with team-mate Jonas B Andersen in third, to reduce the Panthers' lead to seven points.

The tables turned again in heat 10 with a win for Panthers’ Nikolaj Busk Jacobsen and team-mate Simon Lambert in third, while it was another win for ex-Bear Ulrich Ostergaard in heat 11, with team-mate Michael Palm Toft in third, to increase the scoreline to 28-41 in Peterborough’s favour.

Bears' new reserve Lee Payne had a fine win in heat 12 to split the points, but a 4-2 to Panthers in heat 13 stretched their lead to 15 points. Man of the match Payne scored another fine win in heat 14 and, with team-mate Andersen in third, it reduced Panthers’ lead back to 13.

Bears’ Skidmore won the final heat 15, but the points were split, meaning the Panthers won the match 53-40.