CAPACITY grids ensured plenty of action at the final car race meeting of the year at Croft circuit last weekend, when Darlington and District Motor Club's championship race weekend saw a total of 17 races.

The BARC Clubman's Cup was dominated by the Gibson family, from Maltby. Daniel qualified on pole position for both races, with his father Paul just behind in third.

In Saturday's race, Daniel took a lights-to-flag victory with his father finishing in second place, only two hundredths of a second behind. Sunday's race looked to be a repeat of the previous day, but Alex Osborne from Northampton came home in second place behind Daniel, edging Paul into third.

The Porsche Club GB Championship staged its final two rounds of the season at the meeting and the races were also dominated by a local driver as Richmond businessman Mark McAleer stamped his authority on the event by twice qualifying on pole position.

McAleer got off to a great start in Saturday's race and immediately pulled away from the chasing pack before cruising to victory nearly three seconds ahead of his nearest rival.

But Sunday's race was not as clear-cut, with persistent rain and a lot of standing water on the circuit. The Porsche 911 of Marcus Carneil pulled ahead of McAleer on the opening lap, but the Richmond driver stuck to his tail lights, waiting for him to make a mistake. He was rewarded on the penultimate lap when he was able to squeeze past and take his Van Monster-sponsored Porsche 968 to his second victory of the weekend.

Brompton on Swale motor dealer Fraser Robertson notched up a fifth and 11th place, while Ingleby Barwick's David Botterill came away with a pair of seventh places. Sunday's race result was a third in class, his highest class position of the year.

Botterill was also competing in the final two rounds of the popular Northern Saloon and Sports Car Championship.

He was second on the grid after qualifying on Saturday morning, with pole going to the Ford Focus of Tony Caig. But Caig encountered major engine problems which forced him to withdraw, leaving only Botterill's Porsche 944 Turbo on the front row.

Botterill's car was only just completed before the weekend after his previous car was written off in an accident at the earlier round at Mallory Park. But, apart from a few worries with the brakes, it performed flawlessly as he took the chequered flag ahead of the MG ZR of Andrew Morrison.

Botterill then had to drive a calculated race for round 13 on Sunday as he was three points clear of his nearest rival, Paul Luti, for the class B championship honours.

Botterill dropped in behind Luti and finished fifth overall, one place behind Luti, which meant Botterill claimed the championship in his Strasse-sponsored Porsche 944.

The title of overall Northern Saloon and Sports Car champion was also up for grabs at the weekend with no less than ten drivers in with a chance of the trophy.

Once the final two rounds were complete and the dropped scores taken into account, Duncan Marshall from Whickham won the title by two points from Cramlington's Andy Robinson, with Darlington's Paul Moss taking the third spot.

* After nearly 18 months out of action after sustaining serious injuries at Brands Hatch in March 2005, Darlington road racer Richie Harrison made his long-awaited return to the track when he contested the Derby Phoenix Motorcycle Club's last meeting of the year at Cadwell Park last weekend.

Riding the HBR Yamaha R6 in the Formula 600cc Championship, Harrison came from the back of the grid to end up in 23rd place in his first race of the weekend.

With confidence restored, Harrison made a better start in race two.

Despite making a mistake when inside the top 20, he battled on to claim 21st at the flag.

Sunday saw Harrison score another battling 21st place in his first race of the day, despite being up against more powerful machinery. But he saved his best until last when he took a memorable 15th place in his final outing of the day, scoring some significant championship points and also setting his fastest lap of the weekend.

Harrison is in action again on Sunday at the Auto 66 Club meeting at Elvington Park, near York, before returning to Cadwell with the same club two weeks later as he hopes to round off the season in style before a winter of preparation for the 2007 Derby Phoenix MCC Pre Injection 600cc Championship.

There was further reason to celebrate in the Harrison household when younger brother Jonathan clinched third place in the Dynapro Minitwins Championship after a successful weekend at Brands Hatch.

Having qualified in second position on the grid aboard the HBR Suzuki, Harrison clinched fourth place in the opening race and followed up with a third in race two. With one of his main rivals failing to finish, it guaranteed Harrison third in the final points table.

He then finished fifth in Sunday's opening race before another solid fourth place in the final race of the weekend.

* Norton Autograss racer Martyn Janes overcame a saturated Blyton track and some strong opposition to win class six of the British Autograss Championship last weekend.

Driving his trusty Vauxhall Astra at the Lincolnshire venue, Janes secured the title after a successful season, while two more of the region's drivers also left the meeting with some silverware.

Bishop Middleham driver Rachael Davis clinched runner-up spot in the ladies class two, but there was disappointment for Catterick Village driver Martyn Tinker, who went to the meeting hoping to win class seven.

Tinker won all his heats in the Millington-powered Fiat, but the draw for the final didn't favour him. He made a great start and was up to third at the first corner before a car spun in front of him and relegated him to last, but he battled back to take fifth at the chequered flag and secure third in the championship standings.

Tinker is one of the drivers expected to contest the Yorkshire Dales Autograss Club's last-ever Kiplin meeting on Sunday, October 8 and the club is expecting a bumper entry.

Scrutineering will take place between 4pm and 8pm on Saturday, October 7, to be followed by a bonfire and fireworks display from 9pm.

Scrutineering is from 8.30 to 9.45 the next morning, with racing starting at 10am. Entry is free for both days, with signing-on for drivers costing £5 per person.