JUST two local crews made the long journey north for the DMack Carlisle Stages.

The latest round of the BTRDA series attracted a very low entry of 80 cars, but the event used the fantastic roads of Newcastleton and Kershope in the Kielder Forestry complex.

Heavy rain had made conditions extremely treacherous.

Sascha Kakad was reunited with regular co-driver James Aldridge in the Westbase-backed Lancer Evo 10, and were embroiled in a rally long battle with Russ Thomson and Andy Murphy in their Lancer Evo 9.

Thomson just did enough to keep the Chepstow driver at bay, and going into the last stage the gap was 16 seconds, but Kakad halved that by the stage finish to secure eighth overall and second in Group N.

Sadly for Richard Cole with Matthew Nicholas on the notes in the Cole Contracting 1400 Escort, differential failure on stage four brought their event to a premature end.

The event was won by Peter Taylor and Andrew Roughhead on their debut in the new Ford Fiesta WRC.

Photos courtesy of Paul Mitchell.