LEEMING rally driver Kevin Procter continued his superb 2005 form when he added the Shenpar Phoenix Stages title to his list of successes.

Unbeaten in his last four outings, Procter recorded another superb victory last weekend despite the damp conditions.

With his Ford Puma Evo 4x4 en route to Barbados for the annual Rally Carnival on the Caribbean island, Procter and Northallerton co-driver Mike Gilby reverted to the venerable Motoscope Subaru Impreza for the Eastwood and District MC event held at Fulbeck airfield in Lincolnshire.

Also in action was Eggleston driver Alistair Hutchinson and co-driver St John Dykes, from Barnard Castle, who endured a number of problems in their LPG-powered Renault Clio.

An off into some straw bales on SS1 set the tone for the day, but as conditions dried, the pair clawed their way up the leaderboard until rear suspension failure dropped them three minutes towards the end. The pair repaired the damage and claimed 21st overall and sixth in class at the finish.

l Former champion Barry Johnson continued his domination of the County Saab Scottish Rally Championship by storming to victory on the Multiwage Granite City Rally based in Aberdeen last weekend.

Driving the Barrier Surveillance Subaru WRC, Johnson, from Shildon, and co-driver Stewart Merry ended up winning by just over half a minute after setting fastest times on all six stages which comprised round three of the series.

Having also won the preceding two rounds, the 2002 champion now leads the series by seven points from Ulsterman Philip Morrow going into the next round, which takes place in June with the RSAC Scottish Rally based in Dumfries.

Johnson then dashed straight back from the prize-giving to take his two sons, Dan and Tom, to a motorcycle trial held at Butsfield Quarry near Consett. Not wanting their father, who himself was a successful trials rider, to steal all the limelight, the two boys won their respective classes to make it a successful weekend for the County Durham family.

Another local crew in action on the Granite City Rally was Johnson's John Pye Motorsport team-mate Tristan Pye from Bishop Auckland who, along with Scottish co-driver Roger Herron, claimed a brilliant eighth overall and fifth in class in his Subaru Impreza.

l The country's best club racers descended on Croft circuit last weekend for the second round of the MRO Powerbike Tour and, despite the best efforts of the weather to disrupt proceedings, local riders gave a reasonable account of themselves over the two days.

Knaresborough's rising star Danny Linfoot continued his recent good form at BSB level to clinch a hat-trick of victories aboard the M4 Racing 125cc Honda after dominating qualifying to set pole position, while Durham rider Robert Brown posted a best result of seventh in one of the Aprilia RS125 Superteen races, which he backed up with a tenth and 11th place.

Joe Ackroyd from Knaresborough posted three points-scoring rides in the same class, the best being a 12th placing, with Stockton rider Andrew Bennett claiming a brace of 12th places on his Acklam Conservatories Suzuki in the feature Powerbike events.

Darlington was well represented in the Minitwins class with three riders battling it out over the weekend. The best result went the way of Nigel Wright, who followed up a pair of 12th places with a brilliant sixth, while Jonathan Harrison claimed three solid points-scoring rides on his NYRRSC-backed Suzuki, the best being a 13th position. But Mick Wainwright just missed out on the all-important top 15 with a best result of 17th on his Suzuki.

* The next big two-wheeled meeting at Croft will be the Bennetts British Superbike Championship meeting over the weekend of June 3 to 5. Advance tickets are selling well and those who have not taken advantage of the cut-price offer are urged to do so soon.

Also planned for the Friday evening is the annual charity football match to take place in Northallerton between a Media XI and a Riders XI, and a media day is also planned for Tuesday, May 24. More information is available by logging on to www.croftcircuit.co.uk

* The eagerly-awaited Pirelli Kwik Fit British Rally Championship kicks off in mid-Wales this weekend with the International Rally of Wales and, despite losing reigning champion David Higgins to the Mitsubishi factory team, Darlington-based SGP Motorsport are intent on hanging on to the title they won in dramatic fashion on the Trackrod Rally Yorkshire last autumn.

This year, the Hyundai Accent WRC will be in the hands of 25-year-old Welshman Sebastian Ling, who is hoping to continue where Manxman Higgins left off last season.

SGP team-mates Stephen Petch, from Scorton, and Tow Law co-driver Michael Wilkinson also get their Production Cup campaign under way from the Dolgellau start in the Subaru Impreza with which they won the Kall Kwik Rally back in February.

The action takes place in the forest complexes of Dyfi and Sweet Lamb over tomorrow and Sunday with crews totalling about 110 stage miles on the event.

Meanwhile, SGP boss Steve Petch will be hoping to get back to winning ways when he contests the Roush Manx Rally in two weeks' time, but once again without regular co-driver John Richardson.

Richardson, from Northallerton, was injured on the Kall Kwik Rally and has yet to regain full fitness so former champion Alun Evans will deputise in the Hyundai Accent WRC.