SCORES of cars will be screaming their way around Croft Circuit today as the Jack Frost Stages Rally gets underway. Just weeks on since the Christmas Stages Rally at the North Yorkshire track, the Darlington & District Motor Club has attracted a bumper field for today’s event. Taking in all of the tarmac roads around the popular circuit, including some unique variations around the twisty service roads, the event comprises qualifying rounds of the 2008 Tyrespot North of England Tarmacadam Rally Championship, SG Petch ANECCC Stage Rally Championship and ANCC Stage Rally Championship. Looking for a second successive victory is Pickhill driver Chris Wise, who again teams up with Tracey Taylor-West in the Autogas MG Metro 6R4. And after scoring a podium at the Christmas Stages, its fair to say the pair are the favourites to repeat their win of last year. But it won’t be an easy task, with a string of other crews waiting in the wings to have a go at stealing their crown – not least the winners of the Specsavers Christmas Stages, Lancastrians John Stone and Lee Carter in their Legend Fires MG Metro 6R4. Keen to shake-off the memory of being denied victory due to a technical infringement a couple of years back, Stone has already gone on the record to say he would happily give back his Specsavers win if it meant he could pick up the winners’ trophy this evening. Meanwhile, Tyneside Subaru drivers George Grieve and Keith Taylor are looking to build upon their top 10 finish last time out at Croft, while Newcastle’s Lee Tindall swaps his usual co-driver role to take the wheel himself of the Skoda Octavia WRC machine usually driven by Andy Fenwick. Battles are set to rage in their two-wheel drive section, with the Darrian of Scottish ace Martin Elsdon up against the Ford Escort Mk 2 of Brett Mitton, whilst the likes of Richard Wormald’s Astra, Kevin Charles’ Fiesta and Martin Farrar’s MG are also likely to come into play. And that’s not all. The uber-competitive 1600cc Class Two looks set to be a real battle of might, with Yorkshire’s Chris Platt hoping his Vauxhall Tigra can see-off challenges from the Peugeot 106 of Barry Lindsey as well as the all singing-all World Championship Super 1600 cars of Alan Causey (Suzuki Ignis), Roger Donnan (Ford Puma) and Rod Bennett (Fiat Punta) In the Historic class, all eyes are expected to be on the mighty Datsun 240Z of former Croft circuit manager, Brian Morris and other drivers to watch out for include the Ford Escorts of former top national runners Yuk Hodgson, John Cockerill and Eric Kent. The first car was due away at 9.15am today and the organisers are aiming for eight stages with at least one running in darkness. Admission throughout the day is £8 per adult with accompanied children admitted free and gates open at 8.30am. JASON Plato and the SEAT squad will switch to diesel engines in their bid to lift this year’s British Touring Car Championship. It is hoped the move will give the outfit’s Leons a performance boost in the same way it did for the marque’s motors in last season’s WTCC. SEAT sport UK boss Scott Dennis explained: “The diesel engine that made such a big impact in the WTCC will run in the BTCC with both cars. There are a number of changes we have to make to the car. “It is not just a simple case of slotting the engine in though. We have to start from scratch, but hopefully we will have our engines sooner rather than later so we can start testing in earnest.” Plato, a close runner-up to Vauxhall’s Fabrizio Giovanardi last season, is excited by the move. “I think it can perform,” he said. “It is something to look forward to for us. It is the first time that myself and Darren will have driven a diesel race car, which will be interesting. I am sure it will need a different style and I am very excited about it.” | 
