NEIL Simpson today confronted his doubters after his best-ever British Rally Championship result - fifth overall on the Ulster International.

The 27-year-old Colne driver was the revelation of rally holding down second place in his Volkswagen Golf turbodiesel for much of the two-day event, slipping to fifth only after two time-consuming problems.

"I said before the rally that I was aiming for the top six, so I'm really chuffed with fifth," said Simpson.

"I think this really proves, if there were any doubters, that a diesel rally car can be more than a match for the best of the petrol-powred opposition."

Simpson and co-driver Michael Gibson, from County Down, were lying second behind Vauxhall's Neil Wearden, from Poulton-le-Fylde, at the end of the first section.

But the pair hit a rock and damaged the steering system on the second leg, then lost four minutes on the penultimate stage when they overshot a junction.

The result marks another record for a diesel-powered car. The previous British Championship best was ninth overall, set by Simpson on the Jim Clark Memorial Rally last month.

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