BIG-TIME bike racing made a welcome return to the North-East last weekend when 25,000 spectators turned out to witness round ten of the THINK! British Superbike Championship at Croft circuit.

Race-starved local fans had been waiting for months in anticipation of the visit of Britain's premier motor sport series and the riders delivered in emphatic style, as did the hot and sunny weather after a week of torrential rain.

HM Plant Honda Racing's Michael Rutter romped to a well-timed double victory as he got his title bid back on course, while the challenge of series leader John Reynolds faltered somewhat.

Adopted Yorkshireman Scott Smart scored a pair of podiums on his Hawk Kawasaki, with the Rizla Suzuki duo of Yukio Kagayama and Reynolds claiming a rostrum each.

The action was fast and furious throughout the day, with the packed spectator enclosures witnessing some of the best racing all season, and a special cheer was reserved for local hero Dennis Hobbs, who scored a pair of podium finishes.

Despite being injured in a 150mph smash at the official test day just over a week ago, which put him in hospital with neck and back injuries, Hobbs rewarded his army of fans with a heroic performance.

The 22-year-old from Guisborough underwent intensive physiotherapy and was pronounced fit enough to ride just in time for his local meeting.

Riding the Scott Leathers-backed 1000cc Suzuki, and unable to rotate his neck properly or to crouch down behind the screen, Hobbs qualified on row four of the grid on Saturday.

He then charged to a superb 14th place overall in race one and an amazing second place in the privateers' class, in which he is second in the standings.

Another physiotherapy and massage session between races enabled Hobbs to take his place on the grid for another gruelling 22-lap race in the hot and humid conditions. He responded by scoring yet another podium finish, this time third in class despite his 14th overall.

"I'd like to apologise to the crowd for not winning as I'd promised to be up there and challenging, but after the happenings of last week, I should count myself lucky that I was able to race at all.

"I can't move my neck and I was getting buffeted by the wind as I couldn't get behind the screen and it was just a case of hanging on. Another couple of weeks and I should be in a lot better shape at Cadwell," said Hobbs, who saw the gap between himself and championship leader James Ellison extend to 53 points courtesy of the Cumbrian rider's double win.

Fellow Teessider Paul Veazey was also in action at Croft and the 17-year-old from Middlesbrough survived a scare to bring the bike home in 18th place after a tough race which saw him nearly taken out on the first corner in the British Supersport race.

Having made his best start of the season, Veazey was in the middle of the pack when another rider cannoned into him and forced him wide, meaning he dropped way down the order. The teenager battled back to claim 18th at the flag despite his misfortune.

"I found a gap on the run into the first corner and I was well in the mix when all of a sudden Tom Tunstall side-swiped me and pushed me on to the dirt.

"I was lucky to stay on, but by the time I'd got things under control, I was third last. It was an uphill struggle after that, but I'm sure I could have scored my first points if it hadn't been for that," said Veazey, who will be hoping to do that next time out at Cadwell Park over the August bank holiday weekend.

In Saturday's supporting Superstock Cup race, two out of the three local competitors managed to score points.

Chester le Street's David Bell finished sixth and Darlington rider Richie Harrison posted 14th at the flag, but James Brackenbury from Leyburn could only manage 21st place on his debut in the series.

Stockton-born 125cc racer Michael Hill's disastrous season went from bad to worse when he was knocked off his Taboo Motorsport Honda during Friday's free practice session at the high-speed Barcroft Corner.

The 25-year-old suffered broken vertebrae in the accident and was ruled out of the weekend's action.

* The annual BSB Riders v Media charity soccer match, sponsored by Croft circuit, took place at Northallerton Town FC last Friday night, with the celebrities turning out to support the game in aid of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

In front of a crowd of about 200, the media team headed by Northallerton-born journalist Chris Herring trounced Superbike rider Sean Emmett's Riders team 8-1 in an incident-packed match under the floodlights.

Tyne Tees TV sports reporter Andy Kerr impressed for the media team and was one of the goalscorers, while former GP racer Nigel Bosworth, who travelled up from Leicester specifically for the game, was rewarded with the man of the match award and scored the solitary Riders goal.

Afterwards, a raffle and auction conducted by BBC TV commentator Barry Nutley was held in the clubhouse and, combined with the takings on the gate, a total of £790 was raised for the charity.

If Croft is awarded a round of the 2005 BSB series, a similar match is planned and another local charity will benefit from the efforts of the organisers.

* Guisborough starlet Jonathan Cocker and Yorkshireman Tim Sugden took victory in round 12 of the British GT Championship as mixed weather conditions at Silverstone played havoc with the running order last weekend.

Doncaster driver Sugden was in third place for the opening stint, but the pit lane soon became a hive of activity as most of the field dived in to change drivers and tyres.

A superb stop by the GruppeM team turned Cocker back out in the lead. The timing screens were slow to catch up with the leader change, much to the confusion of all, before they suddenly corrected themselves to show Cocker in a commanding lead.

With the team choosing to send the youngster out on intermediate tyres, he was soon lapping six seconds quicker than Jones in second as he took a fifth win of the season.

Cocker said: "After I took over from Tim with the intermediates on it was pretty easy, just a case of driving around and keeping everything tidy."

* Following the recent planning wrangle, which has now been resolved, the Yorkshire Dales Autograss Club are holding their premier two-day meeting of the year this weekend at their Kiplin track.

The event is the Yorkshire Open and is the biggest meeting of the year for the club, which this year will see sponsorship from The Bed Shop of Brompton on Swale, and competitors are expected from all parts of northern England.

Adult admission is £5, with children under-16 admitted free, and action starts at 10am on both days