THE leaders of the BTRDA raceandrally.com 1400cc championship by 22 points going into the penultimate round, Richmond brothers Mark and Andrew Constantine kept their championship hopes on course with another sterling performance in their WA Browne Maxsport Nova on the Plains Rally held in mid-Wales last weekend.

The pair were immediately in the groove on the opening pair of ten-mile long stages. After the opening test, they had a ten-second advantage over Great Broughton's Jonny Brown and his co-driver James Lester from Harmby in their Commercial Consultants Nova, with main championship rival Rupert Hopcraft a further two seconds down in third.

Constantine extended his lead to 28 seconds, but Brown's hopes were dashed on SS2 when his car rolled heavily after snapping a bottom ball joint. Both he and Lester were uninjured, but they face a race against time to repair their extensively damaged car for the final round next month.

On stage three, with the drying conditions meaning dust was causing problems for the following competitors, Constantine took maximum advantage of running first car on the road. He was able to extend his lead by another 26 seconds with half the stages completed.

However, any thoughts of an easy victory were quashed when Hopcraft staged a huge comeback in the final half of the rally. He clawed back 50 seconds of Constantine's 52-second lead to almost snatch first place and the championship, but the Richmond driver hung on despite head gasket problems on the CS Automotive Victoria Garage-prepared car.

The result means that Constantine and Coventry driver Hopcraft are now equal on points going into the final round in North Wales in November for a classic winner takes all showdown.

l Cameron's Castle Eden Honda rider Russ Hodgson travelled to Oulton Park in Cheshire to contest the MRO 125cc championship race last weekend and came away with a brilliant second place.

Without the services of regular mechanic Jason Dobson for the weekend, the 21-year-old from Yarm overcame poor handling and suspension problems during practice to qualify second on the grid behind national champion Chris Martin, from York.

In the race, Hodgson managed to get his trademark good start to lead on the opening lap before Martin hit the front. He was never headed, but a battle royal was taking place behind between Hodgson and fellow national 125cc racer Howie Mainwaring.

Hodgson couldn't shake off the attentions of the local teenager and allowed Mainwaring to pass him going into the final lap, but his race craft paid off perfectly and Hodgson swept past into second with a couple of corners to go.

Hodgson now goes into the final round of the national 125cc championship at Donington Park this weekend hoping he can score at least a rostrum position after coming so close last time out at Mallory Park.

* The climax to one of Derby Phoenix Motorcycle Club's most successful seasons will be played out over two days at Croft circuit this weekend.

The club makes only its second visit to the most northerly of English circuits during their long history and, with many of the titles still to be decided, riders from far and wide will converge on North Yorkshire for a feast of action.

No less than 35 races for all classes of solos and sidecars will be crammed into the action-packed programme, with practice from 9.30 tomorrow and the first of 21 sprint races commencing at 11am.

Sunday will see the 14 feature races, with the action getting underway at noon.

l The biggest rallying event for a decade takes place on the North York Moors this weekend when the final round of the Pirelli British Rally Championship heads for the region in the shape of the Trackrod Rally Yorkshire.

Driffield driver Jonny Milner leads the series in his Team Dynamics Pro Rally Toyota Corolla WRC, the championship's complicated class-based scoring system meaning he holds a three-point lead over Hampshire driver Justin Dale in his works Peugeot 106.

But the man expected to throw a spanner in the works is 1996 British champion Gwyndaf Evans in his 1600cc MG ZR Xpower.

Milner, rally winner in Wales and Scotland, starts favourite to add a third outright victory to his season's tally, but Dale already has a trio of class wins under his belt and would also have been hotly tipped to take another maximum score on the York-based Trackrod but for Evans' presence.

Leeds-based Trackrod Motor Club's seventh and final points-scoring round of the series for drivers is the biggest rally to be staged in Yorkshire for a decade.

Not since the 1992 Lombard RAC Rally has an international field used the once world-famous stages in Dalby, Cropton and Langdale.

The 14-stage event, which starts in Pickering tomorrow morning and finishes in York the following afternoon, will see plenty of local aces hoping to do well on home ground.

As well as the international event, the weekend festival of rallying also includes the one-day Trackrod National Rally, the Trackrod Clubman's Trophy, the Trackrod Historic Cup and Trackrod Landrover Challenge.

Three major single-make rally championships - Ford Ka, Ford Puma and Castrol/Volkswagen Polo - plus regional rally championships and the HRCR Historic Rally Challenge are also incorporated into the weekend's action-packed schedule.

Spectator information. - The main spectator attraction on both days is at the Showground, Pickering, just south of Pickering on the Malton to Pickering road (A169) with special stage action all day from 8am to 4.30 tomorrow and 11am to 1.30 on Sunday.

Park in the free spectator car park sign-posted from the A169. Admission is £5, under 16s free.

Forest stages, tomorrow, Dalby: All access through the Forest Drive from Thornton le Dale only. Main viewing point at the "Woodyard" - two stages use this popular viewing area, refreshments available and limited toilet facilities nearby. Action from 8.30 to 5.30, with first PBRC car due at 10am. Further viewing available by following the spectator signs, but no facilities.

Cropton: Access via Black Park Lodge on the unclassified road north of Cropton Village. First PBRC car due at 12.30. Forest car park charges - £10 for both tomorrow and Sunday or £5 Sunday only.

Forest stages, Sunday, Staintondale: Access from the Forest Drive as above. Action from 11.50 to 2pm, with first PBRC car due at 11.55. Park in the Adderstone Field car park and walk to the stage. Light refreshments and toilets available