AFTER a disastrous season last year due to the ravages of foot-and-mouth disease, local rally fans can look forward to a host of top quality events taking place in the region over the coming weeks.

In total, more than 1,300 motorsport events were cancelled in 2001 after the Motor Sports Association introduced restrictions in late February.

Rallies were hardest hit with 467 cancellations during the first five months of the epidemic, which meant just one in four events ran as intended.

And the British Open Rally Championship was scrapped for the first time in it's history due to scheduled rounds not taking place.

But now that the outbreak has just about been contained, organisers both locally and nationally have started making plans to get the traditional motorsport calendar back into some semblance of order, with the local events taking precedence at the start of the year.

Croft circuit is set to host the Jack Frost Stages Rally, organised by Darlington and District Motor Club, next Saturday. The event will be a qualifying round of both the 2002 North of England Rally and ANCC Stage Rally Championships.

The first major forest event of the season will once again be the Riponian Stages Rally, organised by Ripon Motor Sport Club, which takes place on Sunday, February 3.

Backed for the seventh successive year by Ripon Land Rover, the rally hosts rounds of both the ANEC and ANECCC championships and will start from the Safeway supermarket in the city.

Competitors will then tackle around 45 miles of special stages, mainly on Forest Enterprise roads around Thirsk and Helmsley, with both the opening and final stages around a revised route at the Lightwater Valley theme park near Ripon.

Two weeks later, the more easterly forests of the Yorkshire Moors will echo to the sound of rally cars when the prestigious Kall Kwik Rally takes place on Sunday, February 17.

De Lacy Motor Club's flagship event has attracted no less than four championships and, like the Riponian, can expect a healthy entry.

Using the classic forest stages around Pickering, such as Dalby, Cropton and Gale Rigg, the compact event starts and finishes in Pickering market place with a central service park at Flamingoland, all of which adds to the appeal.

Longer term, Northallerton Auto Club is planning to run the Easter Stages Rally on the army ranges around Catterick on Saturday, March 30.

Formerly the Christmas Stages, the event was run last year at Croft due to land restrictions. But it is hoped that the new date may become a permanent fixture, meaning competitors will not have to contend with the wintry conditions normally associated with the event.

After a number of years of sponsorship by local businessman Chris Lewis of the Food Weighouse, the organisers are now in a position to offer potential backers title sponsorship of this popular event. Details are available from Geoff Balls on 07974 373367.

The prestigious BTRDA championship also visits the north twice in a month when the Malcolm Wilson Rally in the Lake District on Saturday, March 9 is followed by the North Humberside Forest Rally, which utilises the forest tracks around Pickering and Scarborough, on Saturday, April 6.

Competitors requiring regulations or further information are requested to contact the following from 7-9pm only. - Jack Frost Stages: Terry Wright 01325 359895; Riponian Stages: Sue Hughes 01765 607949; Kall Kwik: Robert Lodge 01977 653556; Easter Stages: Ian Jackson 07977 565559; Malcolm Wilson: Ian Wright 01524 824626; North Humberside: Alan Carvell 01482 840756.

The D&S Times will have full previews and reports from all these events and others over the coming weeks.

l The largest motorsport show in Europe takes place this weekend, when stars and enthusiasts alike descend on the NEC in Birmingham for the annual Autosport International Show.

Formula One ace David Coulthard will officially open the show tomorrow and record crowds are expected to see the latest developments from all walks of motorsport, as well as meeting the sport's top personalities.

Local rally stars David Henderson and Guy Wilks will be guests on the Ford Racing stand, where they are expected to reveal exciting new plans for 2002 in conjunction with the Thirsk-based MSR Motorsport preparation company.

Meanwhile, the Formula One calendar, which has just been released, will feature a total of 17 races, starting with the Australian Grand Prix on March 3.

The British GP has had a reprieve and will now take place on July 7 at Silverstone, providing the circuit's owners Octagon meet criteria stipulated by the FIA, which includes better access and parking arrangements.

l The winner of the recent Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix zooms into Northallerton next week to take part in the latest North Yorkshire Road Racing Supporters Club chat show.

John McGuinness, who took victory in the race in the Far East just before Christmas, will be at Northallerton Football Club on Tuesday for the show hosted by local commentator Tony Coupland.

McGuinness, who has won two TT races, will be racing in the Supersport World Championship during 2002, as well as returning to the Isle of Man later this year in a bid to claim his hat-trick.

Admission is just £2 and the show gets underway at 8.30. Further information is available from Sue Symons on 01904 339647.

l More motor sport on p23.