IN-FORM York speedster James Thompson was changing gear today as he switched to rallying.

The touring car ace is doubling up this year to compete not only in the British Touring Car Championships but also the British Rally Championships, and as a precursor to the latter was taking part in today's Willingham Recovery North Humberside Forest Rally.

Driving a Peugeot 106 Maxi, the event is only the fifth rally of his career but he needs to gain experience before he takes on some of the best rally drivers in the world.

The 27-year-old, however, has the bit between his teeth after his impressive win in the opening rounds of the British Touring Car Championships at Brands Hatch on Easter Monday.

Mechanical problems meant that he started both the sprint race and feature race from the back of the grid and also forced him out of the former.

But he recovered dramatically in the feature race to take first place in his Vauxhall Motorsport Astra Coup.

He returned to his York home this week in preparation for today's event, which is based at the Ramada Jarvis Hotel in Willerby, west of Hull.

Thompson won two of his four previous rallies and led both the other two only to have bad luck.

In one, he got stuck in a snow bank and could not get restarted. In the other, he got stuck in a ditch after a flying finish at the end of the penultimate stage and was effectively timed out. He also got covered in mud as he tried in vain to free the car.

"It's certainly a change from (touring car) racing but it's been going well and we've been running competitively," he said.

Thompson already has five "signatures", the necessary amount to usually gain an international rallying licence, but is still keen to learn more about his new discipline before the British Championships start on April 26 in Gateshead.

He will compete in six of the championships' seven rounds, missing one because it clashes with his touring car commitments.

"I've pretty much got the necessary accreditation to compete in the British Rally Championships but I want to do well here anyway," he said.

"I've got to go straight to the British Rally Championships press call tomorrow so, with the touring car as well, I'm pretty flat out at the moment, but I'm enjoying it all.

"It's great to be able to do the two (touring car and rallying) and I want to be successful in both."

"I won the touring car feature race last weekend and it would be great to win this weekend and have success on both fronts.

"I want to be categorised as a driver who is very versatile and successful at different events."

Updated: 12:32 Saturday, April 06, 2002