THE title may have been decided, but the action was just as intense as the Quaife MSA British Rallycross Championship came to the North-East.

Julian Godfrey had secured the honours at the previous round, but he wasn’t going to have it all his own way at Croft Circuit, near Darlington.

Racing was close all the way to the last lap of the year with Andy Scott (Dumfries) snatching victory after making a late pass on Godfrey (Heathfield).

Scott's win in the final round of the seven-event series also gave him second place in the championship, the Ford Focus driver winning out in a four-way battle for the runner-up position.

Scott qualified on pole position for the A final, Godfrey alongside him and again securing the five bonus points for fastest time of the day.

Tyneside’s David Binks, another of those in the battle for second, completed the front row, Tony Bardy and Barnard Castle’s "Mad Mark" Watson sharing the second line.

Leeming’s Kevin Procter led the third row, with retiring champion, and another of those still bidding for second place, Pat Doran, the last direct qualifier and joined at the back by B final winner Per Eklund, guesting in the championship driving a Peugeot 306 Supercar owned by Scott.

Godfrey made the best start and led the final, Scott and Binks running second with the top three immediately opening out a gap to Procter who made a great start to climb to fourth, Doran following him up the order.

At the start of the second lap Godfrey made a small mistake and ran wide across the gravel trap in the first corner, but was able to retain the lead. Procter had now closed on the lead trio, leaving Doran to fend off Bardy while Watson and Eklund completed the order.

At the front, the race order appeared set, but in the last lap Scott sprung a surprise on Godfrey.

"I think he was a little nervous, but I had much more speed than him on the gravel and when he saw me coming there he went a bit wide in the last corner and I got him," said Scott.

Binks also took his chance, passing Godfrey and running Scott close in the dash to the flag, the pair split by 0.063s.

Godfrey crossed the line in third place, philosophical about his defeat. "Andy got his nose alongside and made the space, and that forced me wide so Binks got past too.

“I wanted to win, but the championship was the main thing and I'm very happy to have that," he said as his team fixed the coveted 'GB1' race number to his Fiesta Supercar.

Bardy went out of the race in the last lap when the turbocharger in his Ford Puma failed, oil leaking from the turbo then causing an engine bay fire. With Watson also failing to finish having had a very strong run in the heat, sixth placed Eklund was the last finisher.