CROFT Circuit is gearing up for its final motor sport event of 2012 - the single-venue Christmas Stages Rally on Saturday, December 29.

Organised by the Northallerton Automobile Club, the Christmas Stages Rally generally attracts more than 80 crews in a wide variety of competition-tuned machinery, including ex-factory World Rally Cars.

Last year's winner was Northallerton's Kevin Procter in a Subaru Impreza, and all eight of the rally's timed special stages are held within Croft Circuit, situated just outside Darlington.

Croft Circuit manager Tracey Morley said: "The Christmas Stages Rally continues our excellent 'season of going sideways' this winter following the great success of the British Rallycross Championship finale and Grand Prix in October and last month's Roger Albert Clark Rally.

"Even in heavy fog, it still attracted another large crowd, indeed we had to open a reserve car park to manage the number of visitors.

"Northallerton Automobile Club always puts on a terrific event with the Christmas Stages Rally and the signs are that this year's event is going to be the best yet."

All-day tickets for the event can be booked in advance for £7 at www.croftcircuit.co.uk. Admission for accompanied children aged 15 and under is free, with gates opening at 8am and the action getting under way at 9am.

Meanwhile, the Darlington & District Motor Club's annual Jack Frost Rally - also single-venue with all stages held at Croft - is set to get the circuit's 2013 calendar off to a fast-paced start when it takes place on Sunday, January 20.