For many of the 180 crews contesting this weekend’s Trackrod Rally Yorkshire, it will be mostly about camaraderie laced with plentiful rushes of adrenaline according to Green Hammerton stalwart Warren Philliskirk.

Philliskirk, an incredibly sprightly 72, has been rallying for most of his adult life and insists that it is the excitement of battling with friends at up to 100mph in between the trees and with uncertain traction between the tyres and the gravel surface that keeps him young.

“There are a lot of very quick lads in north Yorkshire and I enjoy the craic,” emphasises the now retired drainage contractor

“I know a lot of the marshals who are mostly local and it’s fantastic atmosphere created by Trackrod Motor Club who run it very well.”

The 1997 BTRDA (national clubman’s) Champion has competed across the World, from Barbados to Iceland yet his efforts are still very locally driven for the hands on driver, who prepares his own cars.

“It’s like a little family with Garry (Green-his regular navigator), Bernard Simpson who services for us, Dave Till, who is retired and comes along, and Hilary - my better half - who comes and does the food for us.

“Garry lives not far away and started servicing for me well over 20 years ago.

“Then he started navigating for another driver and when I needed one, he stepped in.”

Philliskirk won the Trackrod event outright in 2000 driving a powerful Metro 6R4 with which he became renowned.

“I’ve still got it but they have become quite valuable in recent years and so not many people want to damage them,” muses the man who now campaigns a 1972-registered Mk1 Ford Escort, mostly in historic rallies.

“I once lined up and counted 25 Mk2 Escorts in a row, so I wanted something different,” he explains.

“I started in grass track racing - I we're doing a job for a farmer and he had an old Mk1 Cortina. It had been in his yard for quite a while and there was no engine in it so was happy to see me take it away.

“I bought a 1600 engine from a scrap yard and made the trailer out of a caravan chassis.”

The rest , as they say, is history, for the Yorkshireman who also won the North Humberside Rally four times in five years among countless other successes.

This year’s Trackrod Rally Yorkshire, incorporating the penultimate rounds of the British, BTRDA and British Historic Championships, consists of six stages, covering around 60 competitive miles. Starting last night, the event finishes this evening around  along Filey sea-front.

Both ceremonial ends of the event are free with spectator stages at Cropton (from 9.30am) and Dalby (1.30pm), tickets are available on the event website: www.rallyyorkshire.co.uk