SCORTON driver Steve Petch came so close to taking his fourth win on the recent Malcolm Wilson Rally, but he and Northallerton co-driver John Richardson had to settle for the runner-up spot in their Hyundai Accent WRC after a high speed spin cost them any chance of victory.

With all the pre-event hype centring around former world championship driver Wilson returning to the sport in his native Lake District, Petch took on the Ford World Rally Team boss and emerged from SS1 with a two-second lead.

Wilson clawed back the deficit on the next stage and the two rivals traded blows with less than ten seconds separating them for most of the morning.

The SGP Motorsport crew were dealt a blow when the wipers failed on the road section to SS4 and, with any outside assistance banned at that point, the pair worked in the torrential rain to fashion a temporary repair.

But once on stage, the combination of wet fireproof suits and the high temperatures in the car meant the inside steamed up, leaving Richardson to wipe the windscreen while attempting to read the pace notes.

Despite his impaired vision, Petch hung on to Wilson's shirt tail and sensationally reduced the deficit to just two seconds as the rally entered the daunting Grizedale stages.

Petch maintained his challenge on the first of the tests, but his chances were effectively ended on the second when they got out of shape on a fast left-hand bend.

The pair hit the bank, which spun the car around, removing a front wing and several other parts. They lost about 45 seconds as they battled to get back on to the forest track and, with only 11 stage miles left in the Whinlatter Pass, any hopes of reducing the gap were minimal.

Petch gamely continued at a subdued pace for the final three stages to maintain their safe second position, more than a minute ahead of their next challenger.

Also making a decent fist of it was Penrith driver Paul Bird, who had Northallerton's Ian Windress deputising in the co-driver's seat. The pair got off to a steady start in their MonsterMob Hyundai Accent WRC before upping the pace gradually throughout the morning to lie in the top six, just a minute down on the leader.

Despite a time-consuming spin, Bird and Windress charged back into contention over the final three stages to clinch a superb fourth place overall and Bird's third class win in as many rallies.

While the region's four-wheel drive contingent fared reasonably well, our two Ford Ka crews failed to see the finish ramp in Cockermouth.

The rally heralded the start of the 2003 Ford Ka Rally Championship with more than 20 Kas taking part, including championship newcomers Jonny Brown from Great Broughton and Harmby co-driver James Lester.

The pair hoped to finish somewhere in the top five and, while a blown clutch on stage four made sure they didn't meet their objective, the youngsters were encouraged by the times they set on the first three stages, which had seen them lead their class by an amazing 33 seconds.

Disaster struck halfway through the long Grizedale stage as the pair came into a 90 degree corner a little too fast and slid into a ditch. The car was undamaged and, with a great deal of help from nearby marshals, they got back on the road. But the clutch had taken a beating and it expired 100 yards further down the road.

For Scorton teenager Stephen Petch and co-driver Michael Wilkinson from Tow Law, their retirement was even more heartbreaking as their SGP Ford Ka expired within sight of the finish on the very last stage.

The pair were embroiled in a bitter battle for third place when a driveshaft broke to continue their wretched run of luck in 2003.

There was much better news for the newly-formed partnership of Gavin Spencer from Sunderland and Ingleby Barwick co-driver Steve Waggett, who made the best possible start to their assault on the ANECCC championship with a superb 63rd overall in their 1300cc Vauxhall Nova.

Despite the slippery stages, the pair ended up ninth in class to claim maximum points for the regional inter-club championship.

However, both Brown and Petch will soon resume battle when the second round of the series takes place with the North Humberside Forest Rally in the forests of North Yorkshire on March 29.

* Round two of the New Pig Scottish Rally Championship gets under way tomorrow when the Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally takes place, with defending champion Barry Johnson from Shildon aiming for success on the Jedburgh-based event.

Johnson, who finished fourth in the opening round, will arrive at the start with a Barrier Surveillance-liveried Subaru Impreza, which has been completely rebuilt after crashing out of the recent Kall Kwik Rally when he careered into a rock at 100mph.

A number of other local crews will also be in action, including Castleton's Ryan Champion, who gives his new Ford Puma S1600 its first competitive outing with Cliff Simmons on the maps, and the Mitsubishi Lancer of Ingleton's Tony Thompson and new regular co-driver Ian Windress.

Bishop Auckland driver Tristan Pye will make the trip up the A68 with his Subaru and Birkby exiles Carl and Rob Tuer will also be out in their Ford Ka.

Former Darlington auto-tester Paul Swift starts his assault on the Peugeot 206 Cup, having secured the services of journalist Alyson Marlow as co-driver.

The pair have also gained backing from local Peugeot dealers Simon Bailes, who will help fund their championship bid.

Top ten entries. - 1 B Lyall/J Bennie (Aberdeen) Subaru Impreza; 2 B Johnson/S Merry (Shildon) Subaru Impreza; 3 Andrew Wood/Ann Wood (Melrose) Audi S2 Quattro; 4 R Munro/N Ewing (Inverness) Subaru Impreza WRC; 5 J Burn/S Quirk (Hamilton) MG Metro 6R4; 6 D Weston/D Robson (Aberdeen) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI; 7 N Dougan/D Redpath (Ayr) Ford Escort WRC; 8 B Bell/R Herron (Skegness) Ford Focus WRC; 9 B Groundwater/J Wylie (Stonehaven) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI; 10 G Smith/P Carstairs (Alford) Ford Escort Cosworth