HEIGHINGTON rally driver Guy Wilks saw his dreams of winning his local British Championship event dashed yards from the finish on last weekend's Pirelli International Rally based in Gateshead.

The 22-year-old works Ford Puma driver was battling for the lead on the final Kielder Forest stage when a roll less than half a mile from the finish scuppered his chances.

Victory would have been an amazing achievement for Wilks and co-driver Phil Pugh in their two-wheel drive Super 1600 car.

They had been leading the two-day, 400-mile event from SS4 in Friday night's foggy and damp conditions right up to the penultimate stage on Saturday afternoon, when they were under pressure from the four-wheel drive Subaru Impreza WRC of Finn Tapio Laukkenen.

With his one-minute lead gradually whittled down to just 13 seconds going into the final test, Wilks knew he had to drive out of his skin. He was on course for a memorable result when the Chris Birkbeck-prepared car crashed out, handing victory to Laukkenen.

Reigning British rally champion Jonny Milner, from Driffield, brought his Toyota Corolla WRC home in second place, a mere nine seconds behind the Finnish driver, with last year's winner, Manxman Mark Higgins, grabbing third place overall in the 1600cc Renault Clio. Welshman Gwyndaf Evans took fourth in his MG.

Current British Touring Car champion James Thomson, from York, battled his Mitsubishi EVO6 to sixth after dramas on Friday night had relegated him and Huby co-driver Plug Pulleyn as low as 28th.

Appleby's Dougie Hall drove well to claim a top ten position overall in his Mitsubishi.

Former national champions Steve Petch, from Scorton, and Northallerton co-driver John Richardson struggled with visibility on Friday night, which included a time-consuming off in their Hyundai Accent WRC. However, a spirited drive through Saturday saw them claim 11th overall with a string of top ten stage times.

Team-mate Paul Bird, from Penrith, lay seventh overall after three stages before his Accent blew a turbo. He lost more than five minutes, but he fought back to finish 13th overall.

Defending Scottish champion Barry Johnson, from Shildon, led the rally after the two spectator stages in Gateshead, but gearbox problems dropped him down to 15th before his Subaru expired at the end of SS8 on Saturday.

Castleton's Ryan Champion was up inside the top ten in his Ford Puma when he crashed out in the fog of SS5 late on Friday night.

As well as the international event, the rally featured a number of championships in their various guises.

Midlander Sophie Robinson and Castleton co-driver Joyce Champion emerged as best ladies in their Listers VW Polo when they managed 16th overall on the Northumbria Rally after eight stages.

The pair clinched fourth in class on the event, which formed a round of the VW Polo Challenge.

Costa Rican driver Gigi Bettencourt-Gomez was pick of the bunch in the Ford Ka class when she and co-driver Paul Hudson, from Darlington, ended up 25th overall and 14th in class.

Scorton teenager Stephen Petch and co-driver Michael Wilkinson, from Tow Law, were running well in their SGP-backed car when engine problems forced them out on the road section after SS3.

Great Broughton's Jonny Brown and co-driver James Lester retired after they clouted a rock on the fourth stage, breaking a driveshaft.

After returning from a driving display in Dubai just hours before the start, Darlington's Paul Swift was also in Northumberland contesting two rounds of the Peugeot 206 Cup.

The 23-year-old former Autotester and current stunt driver took 16th in Friday's national rally in the Simon Bailes-backed car and followed up with 17th in the following day's Gateshead Rally, along with co-driver Alyson Marlow.

l Redcar driver Dave Craven and co-driver Ian Jackson, from Hartburn, contested the fifth round of the ANCC championship at Twyford Wood near Grantham last weekend and came away with a superb second place overall in their NSS Ford Cosworth.

Seeded six, the pair emerged from SS1 in fourth before consolidating on the next couple of tests to move into third. Craven had a close encounter with a deer on the penultimate stage, but managed to climb into second place and held on through the final stage.

Derrick Fawcett, from Witton Gilbert, and Catterick Village co-driver Nicky Constantine were also out in a Vauxhall Nova. With Nicky co-driving for the first time, the pair enjoyed a trouble-free run to end the day 20th overall and third in class.

* Moulton solicitor Simon Cole overcame tricky conditions to record a fine third in class at the recent Croft sprint.

In very changeable weather, Cole managed to keep his powerful TVR in check to end up as first two-wheel drive car in the over 2000cc road-going class at the Darlington and District Motor Club event.

The result was even more impressive considering Cole was up against some powerful ex-rally cars in the eight-strong class.

His next event is at Oliver's Mount, Scarborough, where rounds one and two of the Yorkshire Speed Championship are held tomorrow and Sunday.

* Rounds five and six of the 2003 British F3 Championship, gripped by Avon Tyres, are the headline events for one of the biggest race meetings of the season at Croft this weekend.

With a superb line-up of supporting races, Sunday's event gives local fans the chance to see Grand Prix stars of the future in action.

Leading the home contingent is rising British ace Jamie Green, while championship leader, South African Alan van der Merwe, arrives at Croft determined to keep his momentum going. The 30-strong field also includes Nelson Piquet junior.

A major first for Croft are the opening races for the Holiday Inn SEAT Cupra Championship.

After qualifying tomorrow, Sunday's action starts at noon. The ten-race programme sees the first of two F3 races at 12.30.

Adult admission costs £10 tomorrow and £20 on Sunday, with accompanied children under 15 admitted free. Weekend tickets are available at £25 and grandstand seating costs an extra £6.