Jack Frost Stages Rally - 22 Jan 12

Record Fourth Straight Win For Bird On Jack Frost Stages

Posted: January 23, 2012 9:09 PM

Penrith rally driver Paul Bird successfully defended his Jack Frost Stages Rally title to make it a record four wins in a row when he took a comfortable win on Sunday's event at a dry but blustery Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire.

Driving the Fuchs Titan, Rapid Solicitors and Kick Energy-backed FBP Ford Focus WRC07, Bird and Scottish co driver Kirsty Riddick set fastest times on all eight stages to win by a healthy two minutes and 12 seconds on the annual Darlington & District Motor Club event, this year sponsored by Autogas 2000.

Indeed it was the event sponsor himself, Chris Wise, who chased Bird home in his MG Metro 6R4 but the double winner from 2007 and 2008 had no answer for the British Superbike and MotoGP team boss who added to his 2009, 2010 and 2011 successes.

Not that the Cumbrian had it all his own way as a spin on the opening stage was followed by a brief rain shower on SS2 just as he was about to leave the line on slick tyres but once he got into the swing of his first tarmac event since Rally Barbados last summer, he never looked like being headed.

The event was the first of three pre-season rallies he plans on contesting before an inaugural assault on the MSA Asphalt Rally Championship this season. Bird makes his debut on the Legend Fires North West Stages Rally in two weeks time which he will follow with a rare outing on gravel this season with his local Malcolm Wilson Rally on March 3rd.

"It's great to win this event for a record-breaking fourth time, especially as I've not driven the car on tarmac for seven months. It took me a while to get going and the opening couple of stages were not perfect by any means. But once I got into my stride, everything started flowing and we got the vital testing time with the car we needed. I'm going to give the MSA Asphalt Rally Championship a good go this year as I've never done a tarmac series but I'll still do the odd gravel event when it suits me."

Podium Placing For Swift On Jack Frost Stages Rally

Posted: January 23, 2012 12:32 PM

With one of the strongest fields assembled in recent years, Darlington rally driver Paul Swift saw off much of the opposition to claim a brilliant third place overall on today's Autogas 2000 Jack Frost Stages Rally held at Croft Circuit, North Yorkshire.

Along with co-driver David Cox, the pair also took a class victory in their rapid 2.0 litre Ford Escort Mk2 RS1800 in the dry and blustery conditions to lead the 2012 AS Performance North of England Tarmacadam Championship following the Darlington and District Motor Club event.

With eight fast stages around the North Yorkshire race track ahead of them, Swift and Cox posted fourth fastest time on SS1 before stopping the clocks third fastest on the second stage despite a brief rain shower. A big spin on SS3 saw the seven-times British champion drop vital seconds before consolidating his fourth position at the lunchtime halt following SS4.

A steady run round the fifth stage was followed by another third fastest time on SS6 and with main two-wheel drive rival Martyn Tinker hitting trouble, Swift moved up into third position after the penultimate stage behind the Ford Focus WRC of eventual winner Paul Bird and the MG Metro 6R4 of Chris Wise.

As darkness fell for the final stage, Swift took no chances and brought the car home to a third consecutive top three placing in as many rallies at Croft and considering the strength of the entry, probably the best result in the couple of years he's been competing in the sport.

Paul commented:
"That's three in a row at Croft so I'm happy to be on the tip of the podium again! It was always going to be difficult considering the strength of opposition so I'm even more pleased with the result which has to rank as one of my best to date. I drove like an old woman on the last stage as I wanted to bring the car home safely but I've raised the bar now so we need to continue to improve. Thanks to the organisers and marshals for putting on a great event, I really enjoyed it and the car was fantastic."

Swift's next event is the Legend Fires North West Stages Rally based in Blackpool in two weeks time (February 3/4) where he will be looking to continue his run of good results prior to an assault on the MSA Asphalt Rally Championship this season.

Full Results

Posted: January 23, 2012 12:22 PM

Jack Frost Stages Rally - 22 Jan 12 - RESULTS

Results by: North East Rally Services

Seeded Entry List

Posted: January 17, 2012 11:38 AM

1 Paul Bird/Kirsty Riddick (TBA) []
2 Chris Wise/Tracey Taylor West (MG Metro 6R4) [5]
3 Michael Glendinng/Paul Hughes (Subaru Impreza) [5]
4 John Gaskin/Mark Gaskin (Subaru Impreza) [5]
5 Peter Stephenson/TBA (Subaru Impreza) [5]
6 Michael Pickles/Ann Forster (TBA) []
7 Martin Elsdon/ (Ford Escort Mk2) []
8 Stuart Walker/Jack Morton (Mitsubishi Evo 9) [5]
9 Dave Holland/TBA (Ford Escort) [3]
10 Paul Swift/David Cox (Ford Escort Mk2) [3]
11 Chris Anderson/Chris Thirling (Ford Fiesta) [3]
12 Martyn Tinker/Janice Moore (Lotus Exige) [3]
14 Steve Quigley/Terry Martin (Renault Clio 16v) [3]
15 Andy Davison/Mike Curry (Mitsubishi Evo 5) [5]
16 Simon Bowen/Richard Robinson (Subaru Impreza) [5]
17 Alistair Hutchinson/St. John Dykes (Renault Clio LPG) [3]
18 Mark Thompson/Phil Kenny (Peugeot 206 Gti) [3]
19 / () []
20 Jon Olds/Peter Hunter (Nissan Pulsar) [5]
21 David Conley/Mike Scrimgour (Hillman Avenger BRM) [6]
22 Mat Smith/Derek Cornforth (Ford KA) [1]
23 Nick Dobson/Jamie Forrest (Ford Escort Mk2) [3]
24 Michael Holland/Jamie Hall (Ford Escort) [4]
25 Joseph Redmond/Miquel R Marini (Peugeot 306) [3]
26 Pete Gibson/Josh Davison (Mitsubishi Evo 6) [5]
27 Derek Blyth/Phil Peak (Subaru Impreza) [5]
28 Philip Welch/Mick Quinn (VW Golf Kit Car) [3]
29 Ed Todd/Andy Brown (GTM Coupe) [3]
30 Alan Cowan/Philip Coulby (Vauxhall Astra) [3]
31 Duncan Wardrop/Ian Crosbie (Subaru Impreza) [5]
32 Larry Carter/Linda Ashman (Peugeot 206) [2]
33 Duncan Heseltine/Paul Andrews (Smogport Nova) [2]
34 Rob Herrington/Charlotte Banner (Ford Escort Mk2) [4]
35 David Taylor/Lynsey Brench (Ford Escort Mk2) [2]
36 Richard Stewart/Niall Thomson (Vauxhall Corsa) [3]
37 Paul Alsop/Chris Alsop (Chrysler Sunbeam) [3]
38 David Duff/Stephen Jennings (Ford Escort Mk2) [2]
39 Andrew Smith/Brian Smith (Ford Escort RS2000) [6]
40 Joe Cunningham/Dan Kennedy (Peugeot 106 Rallye) [2]
41 Graeme Bell/Russ Radford (Ford Escort Mk2) [4]
42 Drew Barker/Shona Hale (Vauxhall Astra) [3]
43 Ben Cree/Richard Shores (BMW 2002 Ti) [6]
44 Ian Woodhouse/Stephen Woodhouse (Ford Escort Mk2) [4]
45 Geoff Simpson/Mick 'Magic' Johnson (Mitsubishi Evo 6) [5]
46 Colin Butler/Andrew Hutchinson (Subaru Impreza) [5]
47 Shaun Wilson/Errol Bairstow (Subaru Impreza) [5]
48 Jon Trenholme/Mike Herrington (Subaru Impreza) [5]
49 Bill Lymburn/Fiona Lymburn (Ford) [4]
50 Steven Crowther/David Batley (Citroen Saxo VTS) [2]
51 Craig Hesse/Paul Rowland (Citroen Saxo VTS) [2]
52 Tony Thompson/Paul Hudson (Vauxhall Chevette HSR) [6]
53 Andrew Drake/Jeff Bedford (Ford Escort Mk2) [3]
54 Andrew Auld/Daniel Auld (Peugeot 205 Gti) [3]
55 Michael Umbrich/Marion Stead (BMW Mini Cooper) [2]
56 Brian Jukes/Trevor Allen (Seat Ibiza) [3]
57 Ian Horn/Bob Brown (Vauxhall Nova GTE) [2]
58 Martin Peters/Jason Leaf (Citroen Saxo VTS) [2]
59 Jim Robertson/George Myatt (Citroen C2R2) [2]
60 Steven Perry/Phil Perry (Vauxhall Corsa) [2]
61 Chris Marlow/Andy West (Mazda 323) [5]
62 Barney Pilgrim/Andy Wooller (Peugeot 106 Rallye) [2]
63 Tony Jameson-Allen/Amanda Jameson-Allen (Renault 5 GT Turbo) [4]
Evolution Networking Ltd./ () []
64 Andrew Irving/Reg Irving (Peugeot 205) [1]
65 Robert Foster/Rachel Foster (Vauxhall Nova GTE) [1]
66 Gary Simpson/Marc Clayton (BMW E30) [4]
67 Ian Stuart Bate/Giles Dykes (Mitsubishi Evo 9) [5]
68 Jonathan Finch/Nicholas Finch (BMW 318is) [4]
69 David Greenbank/Alex Taylor (Subaru Impreza) [5]
70 Paul Banks/Rachael Taylor (Peugeot 106) [1]

CROFT’S NEW MOTOR SPORT SEASON STARTS WITH JACK FROST RALLY

Posted: January 17, 2012 11:33 AM

Croft Circuit’s mega year of motor sport begins in spectacular sideways style this Sunday (22 January) with the Jack Frost Stages Rally, organised by the Darlington & District Motor Club.

The DDMC anticipates a high calibre entry of in excess of 70 cars for its annual rally. In all competitors face eight competitive timed special stages held on a variety of configurations within the Croft Circuit boundaries. The action is scheduled to start at just after 9.00am.

Tickets for Sunday’s Jack Frost Stages Rally at Croft cost just £10 per adult (payable on the gate) with admission for children aged 15 and under FREE all day. Public will also have access to the main service area where they can catch up with drivers and watch crews working on cars in between stages. For more information visit the new-look www.croftcircuit.co.uk website or call the circuit office on 01325 721815.

Aiming for a record-breaking fourth consecutive victory on the event will be Penrith’s Paul Bird in his sensational Ford Focus WRC 07, but he faces some mighty opposition. Indeed, two other previous winners are entered, namely Thirsk’s Chris Wise (2007 & 2008) in his mighty Metro 6R4 and Leek’s Dave Holland (2001) in his Ford Escort Mk2.

Bird commented:
“Although I’ve won the last three Jack Frost rallies none of them have been easy and this year’s event will also be very tough as there are a number of drivers capable of winning. Croft is my local circuit and Darlington & District Motor Club runs a great rally so this is one event I always look forward to.”

Wise added:
“It’s a friendly rivalry between Paul and I out of the cars, but when the event starts there’s definitely some needle. I normally get ahead of him in the early stages but then he seems to warm up and get into his stride – maybe that’s when he has his bacon sarnie! I’ve had extensive work done to the Metro and a fresh engine fitted. I won’t be hanging about.” Notably Wise is the owner of AUTOGAS 2000, the expert fuel conversion company sponsoring the event which is also supported by Cartersport.

Elsewhere rising star Chris Anderson (Ford Fiesta) of Bishop Auckland and stunt driver Paul Swift (Escort Mk2) from Darlington are both fresh from stellar performances in the recent Christmas Stages Rally at Croft (Mon 2 Jan) and also in with very real shouts of victory. Another ‘one to watch’ will be Morpeth’s Tony Thompson in his evocative Vauxhall Chevette HSR.

Darlington & District Motor Club Chairman Terry Wright said:
“The Jack Frost often lives up to its name, making the initial stages very tricky as competitors try to hold onto cars on sheet ice. Cars start at 30-second intervals making this a fast and furious event.”

Meanwhile the ‘Jack Frost’ marks the start of a busy year for the DDMC at Croft with the club’s ultra-successful motor racing championship, the Northern Saloon & Sports Car Championship (NSSCC), scheduled for a number of appearances on track later in the season (see croftcircuit.co.uk for full 2012 motor sport fixture list).

Top Ten

Posted: January 15, 2012 11:31 PM

1 Paul Bird/Kirsty Riddick (Ford Focus WRC)
2 Chris Wise/Tracey Taylor-West (MG Metro 6R4)
3 Michael Glendinning/Paul Hughes (Subaru Impreza)
4 John Gaskin/Mark Gaskin (Subaru Impreza)
5 Peter Stephenson/TBA (Subaru Impreza WRC)
6 Michael Pickles/Ann Forster (Subaru Impreza)
7 Martin Elsdon/TBA (Ford Escort Mk2)
8 Stuart Walker/Carolyn Will (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9)
9 Dave Holland/TBA (Ford Escort Mk2)
10 Paul Swift/David Cox (Ford Escort Mk2)

Strong Entry For Jack Frost Rally

Posted: January 15, 2012 11:29 PM

The winner from the previous three years, Paul Bird, will square off against the winner of the two previous to that, Chris Wise, meaning a battle royal is expected on next Sunday's Darlington & District Motor Club organised Jack Frost Stages Rally at Croft Circuit.

Penrith driver Bird and Scottish co driver Kirsty Riddick will be bringing the Ford Focus WRC 07 which has seen them take victory for the past two seasons, to add to their Subaru success a year previous, but the Cumbrian ace knows he will face a strong challenge from 2007 and 2008 winners Wise and co-driver Tracey Taylor-West.

Wise, from Thirsk, will be at the wheel of his iconic MG Metro 6R4 which has just undergone a major rebuild and is determined to get his hands on the trophy for a third time but he too knows it will be a tough task, not only to see off Bird, but also the rest of what looks to be one of the strongest entries in recent years

Also contesting this year's event, which is sponsored by fuel conversion specialists Autogas 2000 as well as specialist motorsport PR company Cartersport, is another ex winner, Dave Holland. The Leek driver won the event back in 2001 and returns for the first time in many years to try to challenge for another victory in his rapid Ford Escort Mk2.

With around 70 cars assembled for the 40-stage mile event, the battles throughout the field will be intense with a number of top drivers and spectacular cars in action throughout the day.

In Class 5, as well as Bird and Wise, expect a strong run from Geordies Michael Glendinning and Paul Hughes in their Subaru as well as the similar car of the Gaskin brothers from Chop Gate who always go well at Croft. Leeds driver Michael Pickles will be looking to erase the memory of his Specsavers Christmas Stages retirement in his Subaru but perhaps the dark horse to challenge for honours could be Teesside businessman Peter Stephenson in his Subaru WRC.

Class 4 should prove interesting as it will see the likes of Holland battle out with the Ford Escorts of Thirsk's Rob Herrington and Northallerton driver Graeme Bell along with top Scottish driver Martyn Elsdon.

The two-litre Class 3 will be the hardest fought with Darlington stunt driver and multiple British Autotest Champion, Paul Swift going head to head in his Ford Escort Mk2 with the Ford Fiesta ST of Bishop Auckland's Chris Anderson. Swift finished third on last year's Jack Frost and will be keen to get the better of youngster Anderson who pipped him for second place overall on the recent Christmas Stages Rally.

However, Catterick's Martyn Tinker (Lotus Exige), Mickelton driver Alistair Hutchinson (Renault Clio) and Mark Thompson from Egglestone (Peugeot 206) will also have something to say, as will the likes of Witton Gilbert's Edward Todd (GTM Coupe) and Richmond driver Paul Alsop (Chrysler Sunbeam) in the toughest of classes.

The 1600cc Class 2 will prove very competitive with the likes of Carlisle driver David Taylor (Ford Escort) taking on Bedale rallycrosser Joe Cunningham (Peugeot 106) and Duncan Heseltine's Vauxhall Nova although Northallerton's Larry Carter (Peugeot 206) and the Citroen Saxo of Middlesbrough driver Craig Hesse should be in the mix for silverware.

Class 1 should be dominated by Thirsk starlet Mat Smith in his Ford Ka and a top twenty finish should be on the cards for the little 1400cc machine in what will be a true David versus Goliath battle.

In the Historic Class 6, expect to see the rapid Hillman Avenger of David Conley take on Northallerton builder Andrew Smith (Ford Escort) as well as Thirlby's Ben Cree (BMW) and Tynesider Tony Thompson's Vauxhall Chevette HSR.

The event comprises qualifying rounds of the AS Performance North of England Tarmacadam Championship 2012, Fuchs Titan ANCC Stage Championship 2012 and the SG Petch ANECCC Stage Rally Championship 2012. The first car starts at 09.15 and the event will feature eight stages totalling around forty miles throughout the day, including at least one in total darkness before the prize presentation at Croft around 6pm.

Gates open at 8.00am and admission is £10.00 per adult with accompanied children aged 15 and under admitted free. There is also free parking and catering and toilet facilities and further details and the full entry list can be found at on the club website by following the Jack Frost dropdown from Monday 16th January.

Darlington & District Motor Club

Former Winners Set For Jack Frost Stages Rally

Posted: January 10, 2012 12:52 PM

As entries continue to arrive on a daily basis, already the names of two former winners will be on the start line when Darlington and District Motor Club's Jack Frost Stages Rally gets underway at Croft Circuit later this month.

Triple winner from the last three years, Paul Bird, will be travelling over from his Cumbria base but the Penrith Superbike team boss is keeping his cards close to his chest regarding which car he will wheel out on the event sponsored by fuel conversion specialists Autogas 2000 as well as specialist motorsport PR company Cartersport on Sunday 22nd January 2012.

The former National Champion is undecided whether to bring his 2007-specification Ford Focus WRC or to debut his recently-built Ford Escort Mk2 but either way, he'll face stiff opposition including another ex winner, Dave Holland. The Leek driver won the event back in 2001 and returns for the first time in many years to try to challenge for another victory in his rapid 2.1 litre Ford Escort Mk2.

Also included in the early entries are the drivers who finished second and third overall on the recent Specsavers Christmas Stages Rally. Bishop Auckland youngster Chris Anderson took a career best runner-up placing in his 2000cc Ford Fiesta where he was followed home by Darlington stunt driver Paul Swift in his Ford Escort Mk2. Swift finished third on last season's Jack Frost and will be hoping for a repeat of that result this year.

Two other former winners are also hoping to be on the entry list as three-times winner Tony Bardy and event sponsor Chris Wise, a twice winner, are facing a race against time to get their cars ready. Both missed the Christmas Stages but Bardy's Nissan Sunny and the iconic MG Metro 6R4 of event sponsor Wise would be welcome additions.

Remarkably, despite winning the Christmas Stages three times in the past four years, Croft specialist Kevin Procter has yet to add his name to the Jack Frost trophy and the Leeming ace is considering an entry in order to try to put that right this year now the event doesn't clash with the Autosport International Show whereby Procter has had commitments there in the past.

The event will again comprise up to eight stages totalling around 40 stage miles on the tarmac of the North East's only permanent race track and will be a qualifying round of the AS Performance North of England Tarmacadam Championship 2012, Fuchs Titan ANCC Stage Championship 2012 and the SG Petch ANECCC Stage Rally Championship 2012.

Scrutineering and documentation take place the same day as the event from 06:00 with the first car starting at 09.15. There are classes for cars up to 1400cc, up to 1600cc, up to 2000cc, over 2000cc and all four wheel-drive cars as well as pre-1981 classic rally cars. The entry fee has been pegged at £195 and the final closing date is Thursday 12th January 2012.

Entries Received

Posted: January 10, 2012 12:51 PM

Available at:

Darlington & District Motor Club

JACK FROST STAGES RALLY REGS AVAILABLE

Posted: December 6, 2011 9:15 AM

Darlington and District Motor Club have teamed up with fuel conversion specialists Autogas 2000 as well as specialist motorsport PR company, Cartersport for the Jack Frost Stages Rally which will take place at Croft Circuit on Sunday 22nd January 2012.

The event will again comprise up to eight stages totalling around 40 stage miles on the tarmac of the North East's only permanent race track and will be a qualifying round of the AS Performance North of England Tarmacadam Championship 2012, Fuchs Titan ANCC Stage Championship 2012 and the SG Petch ANECCC Stage Rally Championship 2012.

With a fast, flowing stage layout that will hopefully level the playing field this year, the event usually attracts a capacity ninety-car entry, including some of the top drivers in the UK. Penrith Superbike boss Paul Bird has won the event for the past three years and jointly holds the record of three victories with Scotch Corner preparation expert Tony Bardy.

Bird has vowed to return to try and claim a record breaking fourth win although he is undecided whether to bring his 2007-specification Ford Focus WRC or to debut his recently-built Ford Escort Mk2. Bardy meanwhile, who was victorious from 2004 to 2006, is one of the most experienced competitors around Croft and despite its ageing years, his Nissan Sunny GTi-R is still a major force to be reckoned with.

Autogas 2000 boss Chris Wise took the honours in his MG Metro 6R4 in 2007 and 2008, and after undergoing a major rebuild, is hoping to be back in action to challenge for honours again.

Scrutineering and documentation take place the same day as the event from 06:00 with the first car starting at 09.15. There are classes for cars up to 1400cc, up to 1600cc, up to 2000cc, over 2000cc and all four wheel-drive cars as well as pre-1981 classic rally cars. The entry fee has been pegged at £195 and the final closing date is 12th January 2012, although competitors are advised to enter early to avoid disappointment. In a bid to help competitors financially, once again no cheques will be banked before 3rd January 2012 or can be post-dated for that date instead.

Regulations / Details

Posted: December 6, 2011 9:14 AM

Darlington & District Motor Club