CHAMPAGNE flowed on York's Knavesmire as local driver Jonny Milner toasted an emphatic home win to be crowned British Rally champion.

The 31-year-old from Huggate, near Pocklington, became the York area's second national motorsport champion inside a week following James Thompson's triumph in the British Touring Car Championship.

Milner cruised home as the Trackrod Rally Yorkshire which saw the Pirelli British Championship return to the white rose county for the first time in over a decade.

As fans flocked onto the North York Moors forests to watch the stages, there were double celebrations for Team Dynamics Toyota Corolla driver Milner, as victory came barely 24 hours after clinching his first British title.

Milner needed to outscore Hampshire's Justin Dale on the seventh and decisive round to clinch the crown but was able to relax, with the pressure off, for most of the two-day event after Dale parked his smoking Peugeot beside the road with a blown engine on only the second stage.

"To win the rally and the championship in Yorkshire is a dream come true and is reward for spending nine years trying to find the money to go rallying," said a jubilant Milner, who is the first Yorkshireman ever to win the British Championship.

Another of the county's top drivers Steve Petch (Richmond) waged a battle royal for second place with Julian Reynolds, from Narberth in South Wales.

Reynolds, in a Subaru Impreza, held runner-up spot at the overnight halt by nearly ten seconds, but a storming opening to yesterday's action from Petch's Hyundai Accent WRC reversed the order, only for the Welshman to take the advantage again on the penultimate test. Reynolds eventually emerged ahead by just 5.5 seconds after the final stage at Pike Hill.

Following Dale's demise, 1996 British Champion Gwyndaf Evans had a troubled but largely unchallenged run to a 1600cc class victory. Evans, who has been developing the new MG ZR both at home and abroad this season, suffered no end of transmission trouble and was forced to swap the car's gearbox twice in service during the 14-stage rally.

The Trackrod Clubmans Trophy, featuring 47 often older cars, went to Chesterfield truck salesman Richard Hill (Chesterfield). Hill's 10-year-old Ford Escort Cosworth led throughout the event, which ran over Sunday's final six stages, and finished 87 seconds clear of the Subaru Impreza of York's Gary Cooper.

Thousands of spectators savoured autumn sunshine which heralded the return of big time rallying to Yorkshire and clerk of the course Rod Parkin, the Trackrod Motor Club (Leeds) chairman said: ""It's been hard work for everyone but has been worth it in the end."

Updated: 10:24 Monday, September 30, 2002