PAUL Bird returned to Croft circuit at the weekend and successfully defended the Cartersport Jack Frost Stages Rally title which he won for the first time 12 months ago. Along with Scottish co-driver Kirsty Riddick, the pair finished over two minutes ahead of their nearest rivals after the eight stages around the track, near Darlington.

Driving the Ford Focus WRC08, the former national rally champion from Penrith in Cumbria, had a big overshoot on the opening stage of the Darlington and District Motor Club event and was only second overall before grabbing the lead on the next stage. A major spin, the result of a broken driveshaft, saw Bird limp the car out of SS3 and the Dom Buckley Motorsport Team set to work rectifying the problem. Bird was fastest on SS4 and but for a minor problem on the next stage would have been fastest on there too, but he needn't have worried as he set fastest time on the final three stages to claim an easy victory.

"After recent events it was great to get back in the rally car and get rid of some pent up aggression and frustration and I'm delighted to win again," he said.

"The club have done a wonderful job in getting the event on and made the stages very challenging, but we had our fair share of problems too and we were lucky to get to the finish."