THERE will be plenty of local interest as Croft Circuit stages the final round of the MSA British Rallycross Championship and MSA British Rallycross Grand Prix this weekend.

More than 70 cars will take to the track in North Yorkshire, with the domestic title race coming to a climax in the final round of the Rallycross Championship on Saturday and the GP taking place 24 hours later.

The GP will climax in a ten-car final, with Leeming-based Kevin Procter looking to repeat his triumph from 12 months ago.

Procter will be appearing in a new Ford Fiesta Supercar that was last season at the World Rallycross Championship at Loheac in France, while British Touring Car Championship race winner Dave Newsham will be making his rallycross debut in a Citroen Saxo Hot Hatch.

Newsham recently won the Jack Sears Trophy, awarded to the leading independent in the BTCC, and will link up with the Leeds-based Xtreme Motorsport Team as he switches codes for the first time.

“Being a touring car driver, I can’t say that all my driving is on tarmac,” he said. “We always try to make the circuit as short as possible, and sometimes that means going off track a little.

“I’ve always been a fan of rallycross and used to watch it on Grandstand when I was younger. I’ve always been keen to try as many different disciplines as I can in my career.

“I cut my teeth in schoolboy grass track on bikes and progressed to speedway, so I have a good feel for loose surfaces and have always been good in the wet in cars too. I would think I should go well in rallycross, but I’ve never done it before and with no experience, it’s a big challenge to just turn up and race against seasoned campaigners.”

Multiple British SuperNational champion Dave Bellerby, from Northallerton, is returning in that class in a Lotus Exige, and will be up against his daughter, Paige, who will compete in an identical car.

With family pride very much at stake, 16-year-old Drew Bellerby will be battling with another Northallerton driver, Charlie Bean, for championship honours in the Suzuki Swift Junior Class, which is staging its penultimate round.

The SuperNational series will be decided this weekend, with Stuart Emery (Peugeot 206) a strong favourite to see off his only realistic rival, Gary Dixon (Vauxhall Astra).

Most of the other British Championships have already been decided, but the MSA Supercar class will be hotly disputed between the likes of Ollie O’Donovan (Ford Focus), who has World Rallycross experience, Julian Godfrey (Ford Fiesta), Andy Grant (Ford Focus), Steve Hill (Mitsubishi Evo) and Simon Horton (Subaru Impreza).

The Suzuki Swift Sport Championships features a three-way battle between Graham Rodemark, Tristan Ovenden and Chris Mullen, with guest drivers including ex-BTCC driver Harry Vaulkhard and Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher, who has already appeared at Croft this season in the Porsche Supercup.

Barnard Castle hotelier Mark Watson will also be returning to the track after a full year’s absence in his Citroen Xsara.

The Retro Rallycross Challenge has a strong entry, with North-East interest coming courtesy of Washington’s Lance Foster, who will be hoping to pilot his Austin Mini to the top of the podium.

Croft circuit manager Mike Cantelo said: “Rallycross is arguably the most spectacular form of motorsport around, appealing to fans of rallying and circuit racing alike. It’s the ideal blend.”

Adult admission is priced at £10 (Saturday) and £15 (Sunday), with a weekend ticket available for £18. Accompanied under-15s are admitted free, as is paddock entry and car parking.