WITH one more week to go until entries close for the Jack Frost Stages Rally, Darlington and District Motor Club are already guaranteed a packed field.

Almost 80 entries have already been received for the winter rallying highlight, staged in association with Cartersport, which will take place at Croft Circuit on Sunday, February 17.

The 20th running of the event, which forms a round of the SG Petch ANECC AS Performance North of England Tarmac and ANCC Rally Championships, will comprise eight stages totalling around 40 miles on the North-East and North Yorkshire’s only race track.

Around ten spots are still available, but the current entry list oozes quality, featuring some of the country’s top crews as well as an extremely strong local contingent.

Scotch Corner driver, Tony Bardy (Ford Focus WRC), and Thirsk’s Chris Wise (Ford Fiesta S2000) have both won the Jack Frost on three occasions, and the pair will be going all out to add a fourth title to their tally.

They won’t have things their own way, though, with last year’s surprise winner, Barry Lindsay, hoping to retain his crown. The Carlisle driver is expected to return to the wheel of an SGP Motorsport Ford Fiesta as his prize for winning the SG Petch ANECCC Championship in 2018.

The field will also feature Darlington’s Paul Swift (Ford Escort Mk2), Thirsk businessman Peter Stephenson (Subaru WRC) and the Ford Fiesta WRCs of Beverley’s Peter Smith and former National champion John Stone (Blackburn).

Entries close on February 7, with a capacity of 90 cars allowed, with the final ten set to be chosen at the organiser’s discretion. There are six classes for both modern and historic vehicles, with the entry fee costing £265.