North Yorkshire rally star Steve Smith is to contest this November's Network Q Rally of Great Britain - the final round of the 2000 World Championship - as part of a two-car 'team.'

Garage proprietor Smith, from South Otterington near Northallerton, will drive the Lancia Delta Integrale used by double world champion Carlos Sainz in 1993.

And he will use his local Trackrod Rally Yorkshire on September 30 as a final shakedown for the car.

Smith was a regular frontrunner at national level throughout the early and mid-nineties but went into semi-retirement to concentrate on his Walker's Garage Lancia Dealership almost three years ago.

The North Yorkshire Moors-based Trackrod Rally Yorkshire will be his first multi-stage rally since the 1997 Bulldog Midland Rally, although he has turned out in numerous single-venue rallysprints since.

Smith hasn't contested Britain's concluding round of the world championship since 1991 (when it was known as the Lombard RAC Rally) but has a phenomenal record.

He finished in the top 30 three years in succession on Britain's most gruelling event (1989-91) and was the highest placed amateur driver when taking a magnificent 20th overall in 1990.

The quietly spoken and always jovial Yorkshireman commented: "I sold my old ex-works Lancia to Rodney Bennett from Andover and part of the deal was that he would run it on the Network Q Rally of Great Britain also in Walkers colours."

So both cars will be in the familiar white with the Walkers logo down the side when they travel to Cardiff for this year's start.

But first the vastly experienced Smith is certain to begin among the favourites for the Trackrod Rally Yorkshire, which starts and finishes in York.

Also expected to take part in the Trackrod Rally Yorkshire is twice British Supersport 600cc motorcycling champion John Crawford who is set to switch to four wheels.

Glaswegian Crawford is no stranger to rallying, having contested the latest round of the Scottish Championship - the Speyside Stages - last weekend where he finished 28th in the same Talbot Sunbeam he and sister/co-driver Karren MacLeod plan to bring to Yorkshire for the seven-stage Trackrod event.

Crawford will not be the only big name from the bike racing fraternity as Paul Bird, boss of the Demon Vimto Honda outfit, partners well-known northern motorsports commentator and the team's PR man Larry Carter.

They have hired a Group N Mitsubishi Lancer E3 from Richmond's Steve Petch, who also contests the rally in a Ford Escort World Rally Car.