YORK racer Mick Smith got his BTRDA Rally First Championship assault back on track with a fine second in class on the Somerset Stages in Minehead.

Setting off from the seafront, Smith had high hopes for the event having topped stage times in the previous two rounds.

The Creative Landscape Solutions-backed crew, including Nottinghamshire’s Calvin Houldsworth, had a troublesome start to the rally, which began with two tarmac stages up the Toll Road in nearby Porlock.

The duo’s Avo Suspension shod Volkswagen Polo hit trouble with a driveshaft problem, which saw them lose more time before the service crew were able to resolve the issue.

The afternoon loop featured similar stages to that of the morning and, revitalised with a repaired car, Smith set about clocking some good stage times to claim an overall time only 19 seconds behind the class winner.

At the finish on Minehead seafront, Smith said: “It’s frustrating to lose time like we did, but we have to credit the mechanics who kept us in the title fight and allowed us the chance to claim second in our class.”

Next up for Smith and the team will be the Plains Rally in Welshpool on May 16.