IT WAS a good weekend for two of the region's competitors in the MSA National Gravel Rally Championship. Despite suffering mixed fortunes on the Swansea Bay Rally, both Barry Johnson from Shildon and Castleton's Ryan Champion came away with the lead in their respective championships.

Johnson, the former Scottish Champion and odds-on favourite to land the 2005 Scottish crown, was leading the event overall in his Barrier Surveillance Subaru Impreza WRC going into the final stage but he and Channel Island co-driver Stewart Merry suffered brake problems which handed the win to local driver Julian Reynolds.

But with Reynolds not being registered for championship points, Johnson took a maximum score to move ahead of arch-rival and early pace setter Paul Bird from Penrith in his Stobart Ford Focus WRC that he shares with Northallerton's Ian Windress by a single point. Windress, however continues to lead the overall co-driver's series by a mere three points with two rounds remaining.

Meanwhile Champion and co-driver Craig Thorley from York are still in command of the Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Challenge despite having a difficult Swansea Bay Rally.

The 30-year-old Yorkshireman started the Welsh event very much with the championship in mind, knowing that it was more important to come away with a good points finish rather than risking everything to win. However, on the very first stage that strategy was thrown off course when a fuel pump problem cost Champion a huge 45 seconds in just six miles.

This was compounded on the very next stage when Champion caught a stricken car and due to visibility problems in the dusty conditions, the pair dropped another 40 seconds behind their other championship rivals.

But with three fastest times and two second fastest times in the final five stages, Champion ended the event as fourth Mitsubishi contender to hang onto his lead in the series.

Scorton motor dealer Steve Petch and Northallerton's John Richardson endured a hectic time on their way to 12th place overall in their SGP Motorsport Hyundai Accent WRC. The former national champions suffered a puncture on SS1 before stopping on the following stage to help extinguish a fire in the car of another competitor. SS3 was incredibly dusty so it was SS4 before the pair got a clear run and it proved to be the tonic as they managed to set a good couple of stage times before the finish.

Tim Pearcey from Topcliffe along with Pickhill co driver Mick Johnson took their Kerridge Mitsubishi to 13th overall and fifth in class with the MSR-prepared Mitsubishi of Ingleton's Tony Thompson and co-driver Jon Dunning from York making a return to the sport in 15th overall and 6th in class.

Stokesley co driver James Bullock saw the finish ramp in 33rd overall and 13th in class in the Peugeot 205 he shares with Wayne Radford.

Pictures attached (courtesy of Ian Hardy): Ryan Champion (Mitsubishi 14) and Barry Johnson (Subaru 3) in action last weekend.

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