NORTH Yorkshire rally driver Jonny Milner faces a race against time to get back into action after fire wrecked his car.

The Huggate, near Pocklington, man's Toyota ST 205 went up in flames in the Jim Clark Memorial Rally, round four of the Mobil 1 British Rally Championship.

It was a terrible blow for Milner, co-driver Nicky Beech and the car's owner, Duncan McMath, as the next round of the championship, the MSA Rally in Grantham, is just a week away.

Milner says he will be back and is determined to find the funds to replace the car and continue his commitment to the championship and his sponsors.

The all-tarmac 24 special stage Clark Rally was concentrated around Duns, the legendary Grand Prix driver's hometown in the Scottish border region.

Milner made a cautious start and after three stages he arrived at the Craigwalls service stop fifth overall and just two seconds behind the Group N showroom class leading Mitsubishi of Neil Simpson.

Milner started to push hard in the 10.71 mile Edrom special stage and were running well until a mile from the finish of the stage when Milner realised the rear of his Toyota was on fire.

He stopped, activated the on-board extinguisher system but it was not enough to quell the flames.

Fire extinguishers from spectators' cars and buckets of water from a nearby farmhouse also failed to put out the fire and by the time the fire brigade arrived from Duns the car was burnt out.

PICTURE: FIRE FIGHTER: Huggate's Jonny Milner tries to put out the flames engulfing his wrecked Toyota at the Jim Clark Memorial Rally