ULSTERMAN John Haffey followed up his Superprix triumph last year with a resounding victory in last weekend's British Rallycross Grand Prix at Croft.

Driving his Tony Bardy-prepared Ford Escort Cosworth, Haffey saw off a strong British and European challenge to finish some ten seconds ahead of Swedish pairing Per Eklund in his Saab 9.3 and the Ford Focus WRC of Michael Jernberg.

But the five-lap race at the super-fast ex-airfield track wasn't without incident when an eight-car scrum into the first corner managed to squeeze through safely, only for newly-crowned British champion Pat Doran (Ford RS200) to cannon into the back of ten-times European champion Kenneth Hansen (Citroen Xsara WRC) at the chicane.

Hansen impacted heavily with the barrier, but Doran continued, only to spin off a lap later as another of the pre-race favourites, Will Gollop, retired his Ford Focus with fuel problems.

That left Haffey, whose car had to undergo an overnight engine rebuild after problems in the previous day's British Championships, to pull clear of veteran ex-works rally driver Eklund and former Swedish champion Jernberg, with Irishmen John McCluskey (Peugeot 306) and semi-final winner Lawrence Gibson (MG Metro 6R4) the only other finishers.

The semi-finals themselves were dramatic, taking no less than three starts to get a result and even then the race was red-flagged early.

After a false start, an opening corner melee left Denmark's Kennet Olsen (Ford Focus WRC) in the gravel along with British driver Andy Grant (Ford Escort Cosworth). They both made it back to the paddock under their own steam, but the Ford Focus WRC of former European champion Ludvig Hunsbedt (Norway) was extensively damaged.

Swede Morgan Antonsson's Saab 9.3 had also sustained damage along with Norwegian Jan-Willy Nordgaard's Subaru, as did Britain's Terry Briggs in his MG Metro 6R4.

Former British champion, Ireland's Dermot Carnegie (Ford Focus WRC) went out after a coming together in the third start with Antonsson and, when Briggs also crashed out, the race was stopped, leaving Gibson to take the win from Ferryhill driver Tony Bell (Toyota Corolla WRC) with Nordgaard third.

Another local driver, Ken Hall from Stockton, took fourth in his Ford Escort Cosworth with Antonsson eventually finishing fifth.

The supporting Inter Nations Team Cup was won by Sweden ahead of Norway with Britain in third and Ireland fourth. The individual event went the way of Norway's Eivind Nevland in his Volvo S40 with Irishman Chris Evans second in his Vauxhall Tigra.

Northallerton driver Dave Bellerby was set to challenge for the win when a wiper motor fuse blew, forcing him out. Hartlepool's Des Wheatley ended up fifth overall after a non-finish in his third heat scuppered his chances of making the final run-off.

Meanwhile, there was plenty of action during the preceding day, which played host to the final round of the BRDA Championship, with local drivers again well to the fore in the bright and sunny conditions.

After the controversial heats, Bellerby emerged from a typically physical Modified A final to take the win in his Vauxhall Nova after the challenge from Wheatley ended when he crashed out in his Rover Metro, causing the race to be red-flagged.

Aiskew driver Paul Broatch suffered a traumatic day which culminated in him making it no further than the opening lap of the B final when a flat battery sidelined his Peugeot 205.

In the Supercar category, Dermot Carnegie surrendered the GB1 plate on his Focus to Pat Doran after the Kent driver had overcome engine problems on his RS200 to follow the Irishman home and take the crown.

* Gilling West motorcycle racer Mick Jackson recently clinched his seventh 80cc national championship after a thrilling finale at the Ty Croes circuit in Anglesey.

Riding the Alan Coverdale Honda, with backing from Ken Raw and Barbara Walker from the village, the scaffolder clinched his second successive title with a brace of wins on Saturday before taking a pair of second places in the wet conditions of Sunday to round off the 16-race series in style.

l Leeming Bar bus driver Kevin Procter overcame the unrelenting storms and a mechanical problem on his Procter's Coaches Ford Sapphire Cosworth to clinch fifth place overall on the Premier Stages rally held in Nottinghamshire last weekend.

With Northallerton's Mike Gilby on the notes for just the second time in his career, 44-year-old Procter, a former winner, posted third fastest time on the opening stage before dropping down the order on stage three when a driveshaft broke on the car.

A charge back through the field was halted when a couple of stages had to be cancelled because of fallen trees, leaving the pair to settle for fifth overall and second in class.

Meanwhile, Scorton youngster Stephen Petch and co-driver Michael Wilkinson from Tow Law ventured further south to contest the final round of the Autosport Ford Ka series at the Tempest South of England rally based in Aldershot.

Despite the wet stages, the teenagers eventually finished in second place in the Ford Ka class courtesy of nine fastest stage times out of the 16 competitors in their SGP car.

They also clinched second place in the 1400cc class and 19th overall to go with their class win last time out, when they won the North of England 1300cc championship on the Cheviot rally.

Bishop Auckland's Tristan Pye and co-driver Chris Thirling ended up one place behind Petch in class and 23rd overall in their JPM Ford Ka, while Paul Hudson from Darlington once again guided Costa Rican Gigi Bettencourt Gomez home in her VW Polo to take 33rd overall and fourth in class.

It wasn't such good news for a number of the region's other crews, all of whom ended up retiring from the event. Castleton driver Ryan Champion and co-driver Ian Windress from Northallerton were well placed in their Ford Puma S1600 car when a driveshaft broke on SS16, while Swainby's Alun Pearson and co-driver Geri Loughrey retired their Peugeot 206 on the seventh stage.

Joyce Champion, co-driving for Sophie Robinson, joined her son on the sidelines when they retired their VW Polo.

l Richmond rally driver Mark Constantine heads for North Wales this weekend for a winner-takes-all showdown for the BTRDA Championship.

Along with co-driver and brother Andrew, he needs to beat main rival Rupert Hopcraft in order to take his second BTRDA title when they contest the Cambrian Rally in their WA Browne Maxsport Nova.

Also in action are Jonny Brown from Great Broughton and Harmby's James Lester in their Commercial Consultants Nova