York-based rally driver Olly Marshall is heading to Gateshead to contest the second round of the Peugeot 206 Super Cup, the Pirelli National Rally, tomorrow.

Escrick-based Marshall had been flying in the opening round, the Border Counties Rally, also held in the Kielder Forest on the Scottish Borders.

Fastest time on the fourth stage of the event was an indication of the pace that he and co-driver Craig Parry have in the highly competitive series.

Marshall finished the day sixth after an error on the final stage dropped him some time.

His preparations for the return to Kielder have been boosted by a strong performance at the Astra Stages in North Wales, where Marshall finished second in Class A6 behind the more powerful Renault Clio S1600R of former British champion Mark Higgins.

Prospeed Motorsport-backed Marshall's Peugeot 206 left Wales relatively unscathed and he is now focused on the two-day Gateshead event which starts tomorrow.

Ahead of his trek north, Class A7 British Rally Championship winner Marshall admitted that it was a tough challenge.

He said: "Finishing sixth in the Peugeot 206 Super Cup on the Border Counties was a little bit disappointing in retrospect.

"We'd been competitive for the whole day, setting an excellent fastest time on the fourth stage to move into a strong podium position.

"The championship is so competitive that a small mistake on the final stage, where we only lost around nine seconds, was enough to demote us to sixth.

"I think it says a lot for the strength of the opposition in the series, but it also showed that we are quick enough to feature at the sharp end of the time sheets as well."

After Gateshead, Marshall will head to Norway for the Sorland Rally, a round of the Norwegian Peugeot Championship.

Updated: 11:17 Thursday, April 24, 2003