TWO East Lancashire drivers aim to be in a class of their own in this year's Safety Devices Tarmac Rally Championship.

Padiham's Alan Douglas and Lee Sharples, from Darwen, will both be on the startline for tomorrow's opening round, the Apex Cheviot National.

The Tyneside-based event marks a return to 'sealed surface' motorsport for former road rally expert Douglas, who will be contesting the B9 class in his eye-catching GTM kit car.

"Although I've done the Tour of Mull for the past couple of years, I haven't seriously rallied since I did the Motoring News road rallies in the late seventies," explained Douglas, who is co-owner of Moore Speed Engineering in Padiham.

"And I'm 50 this year, so I reckoned that if didn't have a go this year, I'd be getting past it."

Douglas debuted his unusual Mini-based machine on Mull last year, and despite retiring with a blown differential, was sufficiently encouraged to tackle a full season of asphalt rallying.

He added: "Aside from Mull, I've never done a proper tarmac event, so it's going to be interesting to see just how fast the pace is.

"The Cheviot uses the notoriously quick roads on the Otterburn Army ranges, and although I've been up there watching, I've never driven on them.

"The main aim is just to get to the finish, anything else will be a bonus. I want to bring the car home on the trailer, not in bits." Reading the pacenotes will be Russell Stanworth, who used to live in Hapton, but is now a golf course designer based at St Andrew's in Scotland.

Sponsorship comes from Moore Speed, Mini Sport of Padiham, who have helped build the 1400cc engine, bodywork specialists Summit Auto Bodies, Burnley, together with trade support from Mintex and Yokhama Tyres.

As a former class winner in the Tarmac Championship, Lee Sharples is no stranger to the Cheviot.

After collecting the class B9 award in 1997, driving a Vauxhall Nova, Sharples is returning after a two-year break for another crack at the series - with a new car and co-driver.

Manx resident Sheila Thomson will read the notes alongside Sharples in a brand new group A Nova GSi, built and prepared by LSD Motorsport and run as one half of two car team with Pro-Tec Performance of Preston.

"I'm chasing three classes this year, A6 - for cars up to 1600cc - the Junior Cup, and the F2 category, so any points I can get on the first round will stand me in good stead as the season progresses, explained Sharples.

"Although I don't know how strong the competition will be, I do know the Otterburn roads after finishing third in class there three years ago.

"They are formidable military roads, very narrow with wide ditches on either side. If you slide off, or make a mistake of any sort, you're in big trouble."

Sponsors Ovalworld of Blackburn will once again be supporting Sharples, together with Blackburn Bolts, who are backing the team for the opening two rounds, Mintex and Silkolene Oils.

The Apex Cheviot is the first of eight events which comprise the Safety Devices Tarmac Championship, Britain's premier asphalt series. Other rallies include the Manx Rally, the Wexford Stages in Ireland and for the first time, the Elckerlyck Rallysprint in Belgium.

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