Max takes his chance to claim Rowrah victory

Saturday's practice was not going well for the Coates Garage Team, with engine problems meaning Max was off the pace by more than one and a half seconds. But a change of engines for the last session saw an improvement in the lap times, bringing the gap down below a second.

Overnight rain resulted in a wet track on Sunday morning and the team implemented a change in chassis set up which saw Max have a good run through the heats with two thirds and a second place.

Starting in second position on the final grid, the youngster took the lead into the first corner with the pre-race favourite hot on his heels. Superior engine power enabled his opponent to obtain an advantage and lead for nine of the ten laps. But Max continued his pursuit, pressurising and waiting for the opportunity to snatch a victory.

On the final lap the duelling pair caught a backmarker at a critical part of the circuit and a slight hesitation by the leader gave Max his chance, which he calmly took, holding on to take victory at the chequered flag.

His father, Rob, a former top rallycross competitor, was as delighted as his son. He said: "This has been a good season and Max has improved his racecraft tremendously. We have been competing in the national series of the WTP Championship, which as a team we have all enjoyed, and Max has put in some sterling and very creditable performances to take tenth position overall in the championship, for which there were over 60 drivers registered."

The WTP Cadet series ran with grids of 50 and above at most meetings with the excellent driving standards of the eight to 12-year-old youngsters resulting in very close and competitive racing.

Max has also competed in both Warden Law near Sunderland and in the Rowrah club competitions. He is one of the front-runners and could still win the Rowrah championship, but other racing commitments have forced him to drop some of the Warden Law rounds, where he presently stands third.

* The spirit of yesteryear is set to be recreated when the inaugural Roger Albert Clark Rally gets under way from the Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield tomorrow afternoon, with a couple of local crews set to figure prominently on the De Lacy Motor Club-organised event.

In a throwback to the halcyon days of Seventies and Eighties rallying, the four-day event will see historic two-wheel drive cars follow the legendary routes of the old Lombard RAC rallies of the past, with a number of stages taking place in the region.

Crook-based driver Keith Scarr and co-driver Paul Hudson from Darlington will be competing on the event in the Motoscope of Northallerton-built and maintained Ford Escort RS1600, while Bedale's Bryan Gill will be contesting the event in the Opel Kadett GTE which his father John used on many of the original events. Nigel Hutchinson will co-drive for the Aiskew-based company director.

The rally has attracted some of the stars of the era, including ex-world champions, Swedish driver Stig Blomqvist and Finland's Hannu Mikkola, both former winners of the epic event, as well as ex-world sportscar champion Ray Bell.

Former Ford works driver and now boss of the Ford world rally team Malcolm Wilson will be in action, plus current national champion Steve Perez in a Porsche 911, while ITV Formula One pundit Tony Jardine also takes to the wheel.

The first of 25 stages gets under way with the Rother Valley test near Sheffield tomorrow afternoon before revisiting the country house and park for two spectator stages early on Sunday morning.

From there, the cars head up the west coast via Gisburn Forest near Skipton before three stages in darkness in the infamous Kielder Forest on Sunday night.

A loop around southern Scotland, with three visits to the Dumfries service area during the day on Monday, will be followed by the surviving crews heading to Carlisle for the overnight halt before another pre-dawn start on Tuesday.

Six early morning stages in just three hours in Keilder, many in darkness, will test crews before the final stage, which takes place after service at Croft circuit near Darlington on Tuesday afternoon.

Cars then make their way back to Sheffield's Don Valley Stadium for the ceremonial finish at 5pm.

Provisional schedule. - Tomorrow: Start 2.30 Sheffield; SS1 2.54 Rother Valley 1.

Sun: SS2 8.24 Rother Valley 2; SS3 8.37 Rother Valley 3; SS4 10.41 Leyland 1 (no spectators); SS5 10.56 Leyland 2 (no spectators); SS6 12.14 Gisburn; Serv A 2.31 Carlisle Airport (45min); SS7 5.31 Harwood 1; SS8 6.51 Rooken 1; Halt 8.49 Carlisle.

Mon: Restart 5.24 Carlisle; SS9 7.19 Ae 1; SS10 8.23 Whitefauld Hill 1; Serv B 8.55 Dumfries (20min); SS11 10.14 Castle O'er; SS12 10.29 Twiglees; Serv C 11.30 Dumfries (20min); SS13 12.08 Heathhall; SS14 12.49 Ae 2; SS15 1.53 Whitefauld Hill 2; Serv D 2.25 Dumfries (20min); SS16 4.31 Kershope 1; SS17 4.49 Ash Park; Halt 5.22 Carlisle.

Tue: Restart 5.21 Carlisle; SS18 6.02 Kershope 2; SS19 6.55 Bewshaugh; SS20 7.33 Chirdonhead; Serv E 8.05 Keilder Water (30min); SS21 8.56 Highfield; SS22 9.19 Rooken 2; SS23 9.45 Ogre Hill; SS24 11.09 Harwood 2; Serv F 1.36 Croft (20min); SS25 2.04 Croft; Finish 5.00 Sheffield.

* Meanwhile, another event with a link to the past takes place later on next week when the Lombard Revival Rally gets under way in York on Thursday morning.

With a capacity entry of 110 cars and limited to an engine capacity of 1400cc, the emphasis is on competitive selectives and navigational skills as opposed to all-out speed on the stages. Spectators are not allowed at a number of venues in the region, but there will still be plenty of chances to catch the action.

The cars will leave from the start at the Holiday Inn, York from 7.30 on Thursday before travelling on to the Oliver's Mount circuit, Scarborough at 10am.

Lightwater Valley near Ripon hosts the cars from 2pm before a test at Croft from 3pm is followed by a dinner halt at Hexham Market between 8pm and 10pm. The overnight halt is at the Holiday Inn, Carlisle, where competitors will be arriving from 12.30am onwards.

The 1,200-mile route, which is kept secret from the crews until the night before the event gets under way, will also include a test on Blackpool promenade at 5pm on Friday before a full day in Wales culminates with a test around the streets of Cheltenham late on Saturday afternoon.

l Following a superb inaugural season in the Eastern Airways Sidecar Championship, many of the major players in the series will descend on Elders Bar in Northallerton on Tuesday night for the end-of-season chat show hosted by North Yorkshire Road Racing Supporters Club.

Among the guests will be ten-times world champion and new EASC champion Steve Webster, who makes the short trip from his Easingwold home, while Scotton's Greg Lambert is another local ace who will be starring in the show.

Tim Reeves will be travelling up from Kent to take part and he will be joined by fellow race winner this year, Derek Brindley.

Founder member of NYRRSC Chris Herring will host the chat show, aided and abetted by sidecar legend Norman Burgess. It starts at 8pm and admission is just £2.

Future events at NYRRSC include Jamie Whitham attending Northallerton Town FC on December 14, with Rizla Suzuki superbike rider Scott Smart coming along on January 18.

The annual dinner dance will take place at The Lodge, Leeming Bar on February 26 and more details are available on all events from Sue Symons on 01904 339647.

The club will be meeting on the third Tuesday in every month only from January onwards and local riders who wish to be considered for a 2005 season sponsorship donation are asked to forward a written proposal to the committee over the next few weeks.

* Next year's Pirelli International Rally, which began as the Tour of Cumbria in 1974, will return to its traditional Carlisle home next year after three extremely successful years in Gateshead.

Traditionally run in April, the event moves back to a May date for 2005, swapping places with the Rally of Wales.

It will be the second round of the new-style Pirelli/Kwik Fit British Rally Championship.