DESPITE a time-consuming spin on the opening stage, Penrith's Paul Bird (Hyundai Accent WRC) successfully defended his Specsavers Christmas Stages title.

After a day-long battle around Croft Circuit he led home Scotsmen John Bogie/Davie Paterson (MG Metro 6R4) and local aces Tony Bardy/Reg Smith (Nissan Sunny) in a repeat of last year's top three.

With freezing conditions prevailing throughout the day at the annual Northallerton AC event, it was the Subaru of Yorkshireman Alex Taylor who was quickest out of the blocks ahead of debutante Mark Bird (Penrith) and co-driver Ian Windress from Northallerton in last year's winning Hyundai as the fancied runners struggled on the ice and some two dozen crews fell foul of a tricky split.

SS2 saw Bird fastest as he moved up the leaderboard and by SS3 he was up to second behind Taylor and ahead of Leeming bus driver Kevin Procter (Subaru) and his Northallerton co-driver Mick Gilby. Meanwhile Bardy, from Scotch Corner, was still in contention with Bogie lurking menacingly behind.

At the lunchtime halt, Taylor was holding on by just six seconds ahead of Bird, who in turn was eight seconds up on Bardy. Two seconds further back was Bogie with Procter just a single second behind him with Mark Bird tied for sixth with former winner David Henderson from Durham and co driver James Bullock in their MSR Mitsubishi.

With the second highest crowd of the season warmed by an awesome demonstration display by Ford boss Malcolm Wilson in the ex Hannu Mikkola Audi Sport Quattro, the second half of the rally got underway and straight away Taylor was demoted to third with Bird and Bogie overhauling him on SS5.

Bird set fastest time on SS6 to increase his lead to six seconds as Bogie suffered gearbox problems and despite clattering a chicane, Bardy moved into third just two seconds behind the Scot. With temperatures plummeting and darkness falling, stage seven went the way of Bird to increase his lead to nine seconds and any hope Taylor had of clawing back time went with a spin.

Bird knew a clean run on the final four-and-a-half-miler would secure him victory but a stall on the start cost him valuable time but neither Bogie nor Bardy could capitalise sufficiently and the MonsterMob Ducati superbike team boss took the victory by eight seconds.

Just four seconds separated Bogie and Bardy with Procter 14 seconds adrift in fourth. Henderson, in his first event for a year, claimed a deserved fifth, two seconds ahead of the impressive Taylor with the Subaru of Newcastle's David Turnbull getting the better of Mark Bird late on.

Middleham brothers Stuart and John Adamson enjoyed their first outing in nearly a year with a fine ninth place in their MG Metro 6R4, with Bishop Auckland timber merchant Bob Dennis and co driver Ron Roughead claiming tenth in their JBM prepared Subaru Impreza.

Stockton's Keith Davison claimed 12th and second in class in his Darrian, just ahead of the Barnard Castle pairing of Alistair Hutchinson and St John Dykes in their Renault Clio. Former winner Charlie Taylor from Northallerton ended up in 17th place overall in his Ford Escort after gaining a stage maximum when he was one of drivers to miss the split on SS1.

Circuit instructor Colin Elstrop finished a creditable 19th overall and sixth in class in his Triumph GT6 whilst 26th overall were Richmond's Terry Searle and co driver Terry Wright from Darlington who claimed third in class in their Rover ZR.

One place behind came Durham driver David Stockton in his Specsavers Subaru, whilst Stockton's Andrew Davison and co driver Mike Scrimgour excelled on their first outing in a Peugeot 205 to claim 30th overall and fourth in class.

Chester le Street driver Terry Clarke suffered a stage maximum on SS2 to end up 31st overall in his Ford Escort whilst the Thirsk pairing of Andrew Chandler and Matthew Fox claimed a class win in their Ford Escort on their way to 33rd overall.

Other notable performances came from Darlington husband and wife pairing of Ian and Victoria Cartwright who battled to 52nd place overall and fourth in class in their CS Automotive Peugeot 106 whilst Ripon's Nick Dale and Leeming co driver Glen Workman ended up in 60th position overall on his debut event in a Talbot Sunbeam.

Included in just a dozen retirements were a number of local drivers expected to go well including Northallerton Rallycross ace Dave Bellerby and co-driver Sandra Pelling who went out with a broken driveshaft on their Vauxhall Corsa.