For once it looks as though the Jack Frost Rally won’t live up to its name - and that’s a disappointment to Christmas Stages star Martin Peters.
Peters, who scored an eye-catching 19th place overall finish and first in class two (for 1400-1600cc cars) at the recent Christmas Stages Rally at Croft, was hoping for similarly icy conditions when he returns to the North Yorkshire venue for Sunday’s Darlington and District MC-organised event.
Ingleby Barwick ace Peters, a multi national rallycross title winner, relishes the wintry conditions which also suit his Citroen Saxo which has less power than many of the other cars in his class.
But unfortunately for him and co-driver Darren Wilcox from Stokesley, the weather forecast is above freezing and sunny.
“It doesn’t look like it’s going to snow, which is a shame because that’s what we were hoping for,” said Peters ahead of the Autogas 2000 and Cartersport-backed event.
“It means I’ll have to brake a little bit later and make up some time as we go.
“When the weather is good we can tend to struggle because we run with cars who have more power than ours.
“But it’s always an enjoyable event and we’ll have some fun whatever the outcome.”
Peters will again have Wilcox alongside him after enlisting his services at short notice for the Christmas Stages when regular co-driver Jason Leaf suffered a badly cut thumb at work.
And Wilcox has a pretty good Jack Frost pedigree himself - he was the top Teesside driver in last year’s event at the wheel of his Subaru Impreza.
But he’ll be hoping for a less traumatic day this time after almost passing out because of fumes from a car in front last year.
The rally - staged over 40 miles of Croft tarmac - has proved more popular than ever this year with a capacity 90-car entry signed up, with a bulging list of reserve entries eager to step up if there are any cry-offs.
Top seeds are Darlington and District MC members Chris Wise and Tracey Taylor-West in their Metro 6R4.
The pair are no strangers to the top step of the podium having won the event three times and they finished second to the Impreza of Steve Simpson and Patrick Walsh 12 months ago.
But with a strong field assembled, they will have plenty of competition.
Looking to make up for the disappointment of his last visit to Croft is Billingham businessman Peter Stephenson.
He and co-driver Ian Windress were running well in the Christmas Stages when the clutch slave cylinder failed on their 2.5 litre MG ZR as they were on their way to the very last stage.
That cost Stephenson the 2014 SG Petch ANECCC Stage Rally Championship, although he can be justifiably pleased with his runner-up berth in the overall positions.
Darlington’s Paul Swift and Jessica Bell meanwhile are the top class four seeds in their newly-built Millington-engined Escort Mark 2.
They debuted the car at the Christmas Stages and claimed a superb seventh place finish.
Sunday’s rally is a qualifying round of the AS Performance North of England Tarmacadam Championship, Fuchs Titan Race ANCC Stage Rally Championship and the SG Petch ANECCC Stage Rally Championship 2015.
Awards for the 2014 SG Petch ANECCC Stage Rally Championship will be presented in the evening at Croft after the prize-giving ceremony for the rally.
Scrutineering and documentation take place from 6am with the first car starting at 9.15am.
There are classes for cars up to 1400cc, up to 1600cc, up to 2000cc, over 2000cc and all four wheel-drive cars as well as pre-1981 classic rally cars.
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