FORMER Mintex national champions Steve Petch, from Scorton, and Northallerton co-driver John Richardson claimed their second successive victory by winning the Kall Kwik rally last Sunday.

Driving their ex-Kenneth Eriksson SGP Motorsport Hyundai Accent World Rally Car, the local pair finished 26 seconds ahead of Scotsmen Raymond Munro and Neil Ewing in their McKinstry Motorsport Subaru.

Shildon's Barry Johnson and co-driver Peter Croft, from Middleton Tyas, were a further 11 seconds down in third in their John Pye-prepared Barrier Surveillance Subaru.

Pre-event favourite Petch headed the quality field away from the Pickering start, but on the opening stage in Dalby he was a second slower than Castleton driver Ryan Champion and co-driver Cliff Simmons in their hired Group N MSR Motorsport Mitsubishi. Munro and Johnson shared third fastest time despite the muddy conditions.

SS1 claimed Scottish visitors Dave Weston and Dave Robson, who went off in their Subaru, while Penrith's Paul Bird, co-driven by Northallerton's Ian Windress, lost his gears less than a mile into the opening test in the Morgan Motorsport Subaru.

Petch shared fastest time in Dalby 2 with Johnson and Ripon dairy farmer Charlie Payne, co-driven as usual by York travel agent Craig Thorley, with the Escort Mark 2 of Malton legend Steve Bannister stopping the clocks an amazing fourth fastest on the eight-miler.

At first service, Petch led Johnson by just two seconds, with Payne some four seconds back in third.

Into Gale Rigg and Petch, suffering from a minor transmission problem, conceded a second to Munro, but the local motor dealer responded by setting fastest time on the seven-miler in Cropton to lead at second service by 24 seconds.

But the battle for second place was hotting up, with just four seconds separating the next five drivers as the cars entered the final loop. Johnson and Munro were tied on time just ahead of Champion, who'd lost time through an overshoot, with Brian Bell's Ford Focus in fifth and Payne promising fireworks in sixth.

Further back, the local contingent were enjoying mixed fortunes. Osmotherley businessman David Brown and co-driver Paul Hudson, from Darlington, were on the fringes of the top ten in their first proper gravel event in the Steel River Ford Puma 4x4, while the Thirsk pairing of Darell Staniforth and Mick Johnson had their Lancer up to 15th overall.

Fellow Thirsk driver Ian Rudd and co-driver Steve Bielby had their Ford Cosworth locked in a titanic battle with Middleham brothers Stuart and John Adamson in their 2.3 litre Millington Escort and were separated by just three seconds.

Ripon driver Jonathan Kitchen and co-driver Nigel Bennett were experiencing engine problems which had them down to 50th overall out of the 79 starters and the Teesside pairing of Andy Grimstone and Ian Jackson got no further than first service when the gearbox broke on their Talbot Sunbeam.

Petch continued his charge and flew through Newclose 2 some four seconds faster than Munro, with Johnson consolidating his third place over Champion. Bell dropped half a minute to effectively end his challenge.

Rain was threatening as the crews headed for the penultimate test in Staindale where Petch again went quickest, but only a second ahead of Munro, with Johnson hanging on to third in his best drive to date. The former Scott Trial competitor attributed his success to the skill and experience of Croft's navigating on the super-fast stages.

Petch, 29 seconds to the good going into the final eight-mile stage in Dalby, decided to play safe in an attempt to bring the car home to it's maiden win, but still had a couple of hair-raising moments, including a spin which cost him five seconds of his lead.

Johnson and Munro took advantage and set joint fastest times, with Champion and Payne doing likewise four seconds behind them.

But despite some concerned faces at the pre-finish holding area, Petch had done enough to claim his third victory in four years on the De Lacy MC event.

He said: "It's nice to get a win in this car after the problems we've encountered recently. I'm pleased for the team as they've worked really hard".

Johnson edged out Champion by a mere ten seconds to claim third place and record his best ever result, while Champion took a class win on his first drive in the car to gain some consolation.

Payne brought his Mark Robson-backed Mitsubishi home in fifth, a further 15 seconds back, with Brown getting faster as the day progressed to claim ninth overall and eighth in class in the Richard Pocklington-prepared Puma Evo.

Staniforth had a steady run to retain 15th overall in the DSM Evo 3, with the Adamsons taking a class win on their way to a fine 20th overall. Rudd was just two seconds down in 21st overall and 19th in class.

Lealholm's Nick Cook and co-driver Stephen Robson drove well to finish 25th overall and third in class in their Ford Escort Mk 2, but Kitchen's engine problems proved terminal and he retired on the penultimate stage.

Durham youngster Trevor Gamble and experienced co-driver Ken Bills got the better of Scorton's Stephen Petch and co-driver Michael Wilkinson (Tow Law) in their private Ford Ka battle, with Gamble taking 49th overall (fourth in class), 19 seconds and one place ahead of 17-year-old Petch.

Top Ten. - 1 S Petch/J Richardson, Scorton, Hyundai Accent WRC, 43m 36s; 2 R Munro/N Ewing, Inverness, Subaru Impreza, 43:59; 3 B Johnson/P Croft, Shildon, Subaru Impreza, 44:10; 4 R Champion/C Simmons, Castleton, Mitsubishi Lancer, 44:20; 5 C Payne/C Thorley, Ripon, Mitsubishi Lancer, 44:35; 6 B Bell/P Morris, Skegness, Ford Focus WRC, 44:44; 7 S Bannister/J Stephenson, Malton, Ford Escort, 45:18; 8 A Elliott/G Wilcock, York, MG Metro 6R4, 45:27; 9 D Brown/P Hudson, Ford Puma 4x4 Evo, 45:47; 10 P Benn/R Cooke, Ford Escort Cosworth, 46:06.

l This weekend sees two of the main rally championships kick off with the opening rounds of the New Pig Scottish Rally Championship and the Kumho National Championships.

After missing the best part of a year upgrading his Autotest Ford Escort Cosworth, Hornby's Anth Eaton makes the trip to the south coast for the Rallye Sunseeker based in Bournemouth.

He and co-driver Ian Jackson, from Eaglescliffe, have planned to contest the full Kumho national series in their WRC specification car, but will face stiff opposition from Kall Kwik winners Steve Petch and John Richardson in their Hyundai and the Mitsubishi of Charlie Payne and Craig Thorley.

Kepwick's Peter Stephenson also ventures south in his Subaru after taking a superb top 30 placing last time out on the Network Q Rally GB.

Meanwhile, Barry Johnson and Peter Croft also face a long trip, this time north to Inverness for the opening round of the Scottish Championship.

The pair are again planning to contest the full series in their Subaru, starting with the Arnold Clark Thistle Hotels Snowman Rally tomorrow