NOT content with tackling the snow on the regions roads, bus driver, Kevin Procter took his driving abilities off road at the weekend when he retained his Specsavers Christmas Stages Rally title with a comfortable victory at Croft Circuit.

Procter, from Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire, and team-mate Dave Bellerby, from Northallerton, had, along with a number of other competitors and officials, helped clear the track near Darlington to enable to the event to go ahead on Saturday.

On Special Stage One Procter emerged 40 seconds quicker than the Ford Escort of Dave Hemingway (Leeds) with Pickhills Chris Wise in his MG Metro 6R4 third.

Wise responded on SS2 and edged out Procter by a second, but the latter responded on SS4 and held an advantage of 73 seconds at the break.

Although the Subaru Forrester of Alex Taylor (West Yorkshire) went fastest throughout the second stint, Procter had done enough to win his local event for a third time.

Wise and co-driver Tracey Taylor West notched the runners up spot, exactly two minutes down with Hemingway and co-driver Pud Wood best of the two wheel drive contingent in third, just over a minute behind the 6R4. Rallycrossers Michael Boak (Jarrow) and Hal Ridge (Sunderland) claimed fourth in their road going Audi A4, with Alistair Hutchinson and Steve Walmsley (Barnard Castle) bringing their LPG-powered Renault Clio home in fifth.

We tried to find the skinniest and the softest tyres we could and the rest was more good luck than good management, said Procter. It wasnt a power event. You just had to try and get round without suffering any damage and try and get to the finish.

We set a few good times, especially in the first stage when we seemed to get the jump on everybody, and that cushioned us for the rest of the event.