FOR the second time in a month, local rally enthusiasts can expect plenty of action at Croft circuit, near Darlington, as another capacity 80-car entry has been assembled this weekend.

Hot on the heels of the very successful Specsavers Christmas Stages Rally, another top quality field has been attracted, this time by Darlington and District Motor Club, for the fourth running of the Jack Frost Stages Rally which gets under way tomorrow.

Utilising all the tarmac roads around the popular single venue, the event, which includes qualifying rounds of the North of England Tarmac Championship and the Kent Cams ANCC Stage Rally Championship, starts at 9.30.

The organisers are aiming for as many as ten stages, with at least one running in darkness.

Top seeds and defending champions, Scotsmen John Bogie and Davie Paterson, will debut their new MG Metro 6R4. They expect to have a mammoth battle with Scotch Corner preparation expert Tony Bardy and co-driver Reg Smith in their four-wheel drive Nissan Sunny GTiR, as well as 2001 winner Dave Holland (Staffordshire) in the indecently quick Ford Escort Mk2.

The Subaru Imprezas of Consett driver Barry Renwick and co-driver John Askew, and Castleton ace Ryan Champion, are expected to be in with a shout, as are the Ford Cosworths of Andy Fenwick/Lee Tindall from Gateshead and Leeming's Kevin Procter, with co-driver Chris Ramsay from Snape in the passenger seat.

A host of other local competitors will be out and hoping for success, including the Crook pairing of Ian Peake and George Tindall in their Mitsubishi Lancer as well as Masham butcher Richard Welford, with his father Mick in the co-driver's seat of their Escort Cosworth.

Birtley's Jimmy Knox and co-driver Alex Renwick will be out for class honours in their Talbot Sunbeam, but will be under threat from fellow rear-wheel drive exponents Andrew Drake (Newton Aycliffe) and co-driver Jeff Bedford in their Ford Escort. The Stockton pairing of Malcolm Burns and Calum Lawson will also be in action in their Mark Two.

The front-wheel drive contingent has a very healthy local involvement and plenty of crews are set to feature strongly.

Scorton's Stephen Petch and Michael Wilkinson (Tow Law) will be looking for a class win in the Ford Ka and Darlington driver David Cox, partnered by Gilling West's Terry Searle, will be out to put his Rover Metro ahead of the opposition.

Former Croft driving school instructor Steven Coates from Scorton is not to be discounted in his Nova, while the Great Langton duo of Steve Williams and Anouska Swales will be looking for a class win in their 1400cc Rover Metro.

Two crews to certainly keep an eye on will be Yafforth rallycrosser Dave Bellerby who, along with co-driver Mick Gilby (Northallerton), gives his two-litre Nova another outing, and former autotesters Paul and Russ Swift from Darlington in their 1300cc Nova.

Bellerby was setting excellent times on his rally debut over Christmas and was inside the top ten in the early stages, but ended up losing time after an excursion on to the grass.

The Swifts have just returned from the Autosport International show in Birmingham, where they entertained tens of thousands of fans with their spectacular Peugeot 206 Pirelli stunt show in the Live Action Arena.

Other locals set to contest the event are Guisborough's John Jackson and Arthur Fenwick (Ford Escort), Jim Kirwin from Ingleby Barwick and co-driver Martin Culkin in their Toyota Corolla and Kevin Garthwaite and David Turnbull (Durham) in their Ford Escort.

The Thirsk area is well represented. Mike Altendorf/Andy Rowe will be out in their Mitsubishi, along with the Ford Escort of Andrew Chandler and Matty Fox plus Pickhill's Tracey Taylor-West and Tony Christon in their Escort Cosworth.

Paul Moss and Billy Tarvitt from Darlington start the event in their Citroen Saxo, former circuit manager Brian Morris from Dalton and co-driver Maurice Jennings will be out in their Datsun 240Z, as will Marton driver Andrew Davison and co-driver Mike Scrimgour in their Talbot Samba.

Chester le Street's Robert and Shaun Skeoch will also be in action in their Ford Escort.

Spectator admission is £5, with parking within the circuit confines.

Further information can be obtained from Croft circuit on 01325 721815.

Top 20 entries. - 1 John Bogie/Davie Paterson, MG Metro 6R4, Dumfries; 2 Tony Bardy/Reg Smith, Nissan Sunny GTiR 2000, Richmond; 3 Barry Renwick/John Askew, Subaru Impreza 2000T, Medomsley; 4 Dave Holland/TBA, Ford Escort Mk2 2100, Leek; 5 Andy Fenwick/Lee Tindall, Ford Escort Cosworth 1994, Lamesley; 6 Phil Gallagher/Mick Gallagher, MG Metro 6R4 2800, Leeds; 7 Guy Woodcock/Dave Williams, Ford Escort Maxi 1998, Wales; 8 Ryan Champion/TBA, Subaru Impreza 2000T, Castleton; 9 Kevin Proctor/Chris Ramsay, Ford Sierra 1998, Leeming Bar; 10 Steve Simpson/Mark Booth, Subaru Impreza 2000T, Manchester; 11 Ian Peake/George Tindall, Mitsubishi Evo 7 1998T, Crook; 12 Richard Welford/Mick Welford, Ford RS Cosworth 2000, Bedale; 13 John Stone/Lee Carter, MG Metro 6R4 2800, Blackburn; 14 Ashley Field/Rob Pye, Darrian T90 1998, Mansfield; 15 Malcolm Proudlock/Bruce Harper, Subaru Impreza 2000T, Dumfries; 16 Ian Patterson/TBA, Subaru Impreza 2000T, Dumfries; 17 Jimmy Knox/Alec Renwick, Talbot Sunbeam 1998, Birtley; 18 Peter Owen/Pete Jackson, Subaru Impreza 2000T, Hampton; 19 Andrew Nicholson/John McMurdo, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo3 1997, Lockerbie; 20 Tom Hogan/TBA, Subaru Impreza 2000T, Dumfries