SCORTON rally driver Steve Petch came within four seconds of regaining his Malcolm Wilson Rally title, but he and Northallerton co-driver John Richardson had to settle for second best in the second round of the BTRDA Championship held in the Lake District.

Driving the SGP Motorsport Hyundai Accent WRC on the Cockermouth-based event which Petch had won on three previous occasions, the pair took the lead on the opening Hobcarton stage before surrendering it by a mere second to fellow Hyundai Accent WRC driver, Welshman Graham Middleton, on SS2.

The battle for the lead was hotting up and Cumbrian Paul Bird (Ford Focus WRC) took over after SS3, just one second ahead of Petch, who was a similar distance ahead of Middleton as the crews headed for the legendary Grizedale Forest.

Petch used all his experience to set fastest time on the first of the Grizedale tests to lead Bird by three seconds, but the Penrith driver responded by reducing the deficit to just two seconds on Grizedale North as the cars headed for the final loop in the Whinlatter Pass complex.

Bird stormed through SS6 to lead by seven seconds and the MonsterMob Ducati boss, with local ace Andrew Dugdale on the notes for the first time, increased his advantage by another two seconds on the penultimate stage in Comb.

With only the short Wythop test to claw back the time, a sterling effort by Petch saw him claim five seconds back off Bird, but it wasn't quite enough and he was forced to concede defeat to his former team-mate.

Pickhill's Matt Yeadon and co-driver Richard Shores, from Boltby, continued their BTRDA campaign with a battling 24th overall on their way to fifth in class in their DSM-prepared Nu Era Mitsubishi Lancer.

Morton on Swale garage proprietor Charlie Taylor and co-driver Steve Beilby, from Pickering, took 46th overall and fifth in class in their Ford Escort Mk 2.

Five places further back were West Rounton driver Chris Blake and co-driver Tony Walker, from Barnard Castle, who claimed 25th in class in their Northallerton Tyre and Battery Ford Escort Cosworth.

l Leeming businessman Kevin Procter continued his build-up to the forthcoming Barbados Rally Carnival by contesting three events in just two weekends with Northallerton co-driver Mick Gilby.

Driving the Motoscope of Northallerton-backed Subaru Impreza, the pair continued their assault on the BTRDA Championship with a superb eighth place overall on their debut on the Malcolm Wilson Rally.

The result was even more pleasing as a number of crews finishing in front of them were not registered for the series and did not score points.

The pair scored fifth place points to add to their sixth place on the Wyedean Rally last month and they are now joint third in the standings, just nine points off the leader going into their home event - The North Humberside Forest Stages - next weekend.

Procter and Gilby made the overnight dash from the Lake District to Mansfield in order to take part in the following day's Robin Hood Stages Rally, based in Sherwood Forest, in a bid to add to Procter's numerous victories in the complex.

All was going to plan as they emerged from SS1 with an 18-second lead, which had increased to a minute by the third stage. The pair continued to extend their lead to nearly two minutes when a problem forced them out on the penultimate stage to rob them of victory.

Procter bounced back, however, with a superb performance at the wheel of his Ford Escort Cosworth as he and Gilby took a fine victory on the Trackrod MC-organised Lookout Stages Rally, based at Melbourne airfield near York last weekend.

Fellow Leeming driver Glen Workman and co-driver Jonathan Bean, from Bedale, were also in action on the Robin Hood Stages Rally.

After holding a superb top ten placing on only their second event since a four-year break in their Ford Sierra Cosworth, the pair were forced out on the fourth stage of the day.

l The 2004 racing season gets under way at Croft circuit this weekend with the opening round of the North East Motorcycle Racing Club Championship.

With more than 150 solo competitors and no less than 32 sidecar crews set to take part, the action is sure to be plentiful in the various classes throughout the weekend, which culminates in the 15-lap battle for the Laird of Croft title on Sunday.

Among the favourites will be defending champion John Ingram (Hindley) on his Suzuki GSXR 1000, but also in the field will be former champion Phil Stewart (Rothienorman) on his 600cc Honda and fellow Scotsman Les Shand (Fochabars) on a Yamaha R1, both of whom will be in with a shout.

Local hopes rest with Sunniside rider Colin Gelston (Suzuki 600), David Bell from Chester le Street (Suzuki 1000) and Leyburn's James Brackenbury (Suzuki 1000), but a strong contingent from the Isle of Man will see top racers Paul Hunt (Suzuki 1000), Tommy Clucas (Honda 600) and Juan Kinnish (Suzuki 1000) also in action over the weekend.

A quality F2 sidecar field is headed by Geordie Ian Bell on his and passenger Tony Belsay's DMR outfit and they can expect stiff opposition from Rainton's Tony Thirkell and Roy King (Honda) and Penrith pairing Tony Baker and Jimmy White (Yamaha).

Also in action will be a host of top open class sidecar competitors using the meeting as a shakedown for next week's British Championship opener at Silverstone.

Nine times world champion Steve Webster (Easingwold) leads the entry list along with the likes of Thirsk's Tony Williams and Leeds driver Steve Norbury.

With classes to include Sound of Thunder, Formula 400, Formula 600, Classics, Forgotten Era and F125 to complement the open class races, there should be plenty of excitement on track.

Practice gets under way at 9.30 tomorrow, with racing immediately after, and the action starts at noon on Sunday. Adult admission is just £6 tomorrow and £12 on Sunday, with accompanied children under 15 admitted free on both days.

* The opening round of the BMW Motorrad BoxerCup 2004 series kicked off at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida, with local ace Barry Burrell scoring a superb top ten result.

One of 38 starters from all over the world, the 17-year-old from Bishop Auckland finished ninth overall in the race, before being promoted a further place when one of the riders finishing in front of him was later disqualified.

As a result, the teenager took the lead in the BMW Young Star sub class for the best rider under the age of 21, the winner of which will receive a brand new Mini Cooper at the end of the season.

On his second visit to Daytona, Burrell started from the fourth row of the grid in 15th position and made a superb start before becoming involved in a three-way battle for eighth place throughout the 13-lap race held in stifling temperatures.

Not only was he the first of the three-strong British team to finish, but he also beat a number of established international stars to underline his potential.

The BMW Motorrad BoxerCup 2004 now moves to Europe, where it will be a support race at seven of the MotoGP rounds, starting at Le Mans in France on May 15 and finishing at Valencia in Spain on October 30.

Burrell led two races last season in both the UK and in Holland and will be hoping to improve this season. The winner of the series will drive home in a BMW M3 Coupe.

* Round two of the County Saab Scottish Rally Championship gets under way at the Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally tomorrow in Jedburgh, with the route taking in some of Britain's most demanding and exhilarating rally stages in the infamous Kielder Forest.

This year's bumper event, with 110 entries, promises to be as equally tight as the nail-biter 12 months ago when Inverness driver Raymond Munro, on his way to lifting the 2003 championship, squeezed ahead of the then defending champ Barry Johnson, from Shildon, by just two seconds.

This year's battle between the two principal characters promises to be equally exciting, with the revelation that the County Durham driver will unveil his new ex-Petter Solberg Subaru Impreza World Rally Car before the start adding a sharper edge to the proceedings.

Also in action will be Junior World Rally Championship star Guy Wilks, from Heighington, who will tackle the event in a Hyundai Accent WRC.

The five-stage event, which covers 45 miles, starts and finishes in the shadow of Jedburgh Abbey.

The first car rolls off the start ramp in Abbey Place at 10.31 and the champagne celebrations are scheduled to get under way at 3.30.

l Darlington autotester Paul Swift launched his British Autotest Championship campaign last weekend with an outright overall win.

Curborough motor sport complex near Lichfield was the venue for the opening round of the championship, where 40 competitors from all over the British Isles battled it out for top honours.

Swift conceded two early penalties and was lying second overall at the halfway point behind the Subaru-powered buggy of Chris Atkinson, but a string of 11 fastest times in his Carpet Time-sponsored Mini Special gave Swift the win by a massive 29.6 seconds.

This weekend, with support from local sponsors Smart IFA and Smith & Allan Oils, the 24-year-old travels to the Republic of Ireland to represent England in the TDC Inter Nations Cup.

With England winning the Ken Wharton international trophy back in October, they will certainly be looking to bring home some silverware.