A SPECTACULAR motorsport event could be pushed into the pits unless fans come out in force and back it, organisers have warned.

The Specsavers Christmas Stages Rally, which takes place on December 28, has been held at Croft Circuit, near Darlington, for the past ten years after it moved from Ministry of Defence land at Catterick, North Yorkshire.

However, this year could be the last as the circuit’s owners say unless several thousand spectators attend it will no longer be financially viable.

The rally is under threat largely due to a High Court ruling which limits the number of “noisy” days Croft can stage. Currently, the hire of the circuit is discounted to the rally’s organisers, the Northallerton Automobile Club Ltd, but unless the shortfall is met by fans coming through the gates, the slot is likely to be allocated to more profitable summer car and bike meetings.

A capacity entry of 95 cars, including some of the country’s top drivers, will contest the rally, which is a round of a number regional championships.

“The entry fees for the competitors are minimal and they alone are not enough to keep the event going. Croft hire the circuit to us and they need to be seen to be getting revenue back,” said Northallerton Automobile Club chairman, Ian Jackson. “They need spectators through the door. We charge £195 and for a single venue that is about average.

You cannot expect entrants to pay another £100 to keep the event going.

“We need the spectators to come and support the event because if the rug is going to be pulled from under us, where do we go?”

Mr Jackson said he understood Croft’s position, but said taking the rally back to Catterick, if that was an option, would mean an end to spectator access due to MoD restrictions.

“The Army does not like too many people wandering around their area, so if people want to come and watch a local rally – of which there aren’t too many – they need to come out and support us.”

This year could see history made as Leeming’s Kevin Procter goes for a successive hat-trick of victories.

The Subaru WRC driver said: “It would mean the world to us to keep it at Croft because we don’t really have any more local Tarmac events. It’s between Christmas and New Year, the holiday period, so more people can come. Over the years it’s had a really good following and we just want to keep those spectators coming so we can carry on running the event.”

David Stockton, of event sponsor Specsavers, said: “Croft is a circuit that needs everbody’s help at the moment.

As one of the businesses in the community, I think we need to get behind it. If we don’t and we don’t drag people here, we are going to lose this rally, which would be a shame.”

Croft Circuit manager, Tracey Morley, sympathised with the organisers, but said her hands were tied by the High Court ruling.

“It is an event that we would like to keep here at the circuit, but we have to make it financially viable,” she said.

“Because of the 40-day restriction, we need to make what we can from the limited number of days we are allowed to operate.”

Action gets under way at 9.05am with the first of eight stages.

■ Admission costs £10 per adult with accompanied children under 15 admitted free. Car parking is free.