The North Yorkshire challenge in the second round of the Mintex National Rally Series fizzled out when both Warren Philliskirk and Martyn Harrison were forced to retire from the Scottish leg.

Philliskirk, of Green Hammerton, saw his chances of strengthening a top ten position grind to a halt when he lost a front wheel of his MG Metro 6R4, during the seventh stage of the Printagraph Granite City Rally based in an around Aberdeen, while Harrison, of Malton, also driving an MG Metro 6R4, suffered a double puncture as he raced through stage ten.

Steve Petch, the Richmond-based driver, finished fifth driving his Ford Escort World Rally car.

The day was won by Poole's Marcus Dodd, also driving a Ford Escort.

Brayton's Jeremy Smith still heads the Autosport British Formula 3 National Class Championship after finishing second at Thruxton despite his car overheating.

Smith, studying mechanical engineering at Hull University, competes in the class for 1998 cars, but his challenge was so strong that he swept ahead of several competitors racing this year's model. He now has 50 points, seven ahead of closest rival Martin O'Connell (Walsall) who won the class event.

The race can be seen on Sky Sport 2 on April 15 and on Channel 4 on Wednesday, April 22. The next round of the championship is at Brands Hatch on April 25.

Nicola Harper (Wigginton), Alun Pearson (Northallerton) and Craig Dykes (Selby) were all forced to retire from the 80-mile Tour Of Lincolnshire Rally at the weekend. The stages involved race circuits, airfield Tarmac and gravel and farm track stages.

Harper, with father Graham co-driving, lost the engine of their Skoda Faborit after an oil leak, Pearson with York's Matthew Whattam in the second seat, rolled his Nissan Micra into a ditch. Both escaped unhurt, while Dykes, with co-driver Barry Dove, also ran into engine trouble.

Harrogate driver Marc Norton survived a high-speed tyre blowout in the MGF Cup second round at Thruston. The 21-year-old was forced to retire on the sixth lap, having only just made the starting grid after engine trouble in qualification.

His front tyre burst and he slammed into a bank alongside the track, but escaped uninjured.

Selby's James Middlebrook, currently fifth in the Skoda Trophy Rally Championship, heads to Carlisle on April 24-25 for the Pirelli International rally which makes up rounds three and four of the championship.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.