Northallerton Auto Club has managed to attract a good quality field for the annual Food Weighouse Christmas Stages Rally starting at Catterick Garrison tomorrow.

Heading the entry on the gravel tracks around the vast military base so far is last year's winner Charlie Payne in his Mitsubishi Lancer.

He will be hoping for his fourth victory in the event but the Ripon farmer can expect a stiff challenge from several North Yorkshire drivers as well as a host of other top competitors who are heading north for the rally.

Former BTRDA champion Brian Bell will be bringing his Ford Escort WRC to the line and is expected to be a major contender for honours while Nottingham's Dave Wood will also be looking to repeat his recent Galloway Hills success in his Subaru and cannot be ruled out.

The 1997 Christmas Stages winner and this season's Mintex runner-up Anth Eaton heads the local challenge in his Ford Escort Cosworth but former Rallycross champion Tony Bardy, winner of the recent Dalby Gravel Sprint in his four-wheel drive Nissan Sunny, and event sponsor Chris Lewis in his Mitsubishi are dark horses.

Another interesting entry is former Mintex champion Steve Smith, who will be out in Carlos Sainz's former Lancia Delta Integrale after a good outing on the recent Network Q Rally of Great Britain. Smith will be handing the maps to teenage son Ben for his first competitive outing.

The two-wheel drive challenge is headed by Barry Pittaway in his F2 Nissan Sunny but he can expect tough opposition from the likes of Charlie Taylor in his Mark 2 Escort and Richard Welford in his revamped Peugeot 306 S16.

BTRDA champion Mark Constantine will be out in his reliable Nova, as will owner of the British Superbike Championship Monstermob Ducati Team Paul Bird, who impressed with ninth place overall on the recent Grizedale Stages in the SGP Motorsport Impreza.

Newly crowned Mintex champion Steve Petch has been seconded to drive his Ford Escort WRC as course car at the head of the field that includes entries from as far apart as Scotland and Kent.

* Spectator information: Start AVA Barracks, Catterick Camp Centre (09.30), Stages Foxglove 1 (09.34), Foxglove 2 (11.38), Deep Ghyll (14.12).