Bampton rally driver Dominic Hodge overcame a catalogue of near-disasters at the Pirelli Trophy Rally to finish a hard-earned 22nd overall and sixth in class.

On a day that rewarded tidy driving over the high speed jumps and deeply rutted tracks of Northumbria's Keilder forest, he survived to score points in the Peugeot Sport Owners Club 205 Challenge, consolidating sixth place in the championship after two rounds.

After a steady start through stage one, Ash Park, Hodge and co-driver Ian Harden moved to the fast, narrow Bewshaugh, a classic former RAC Rally stage. The final two miles were extremely rough, forcing Hodge to drive through rock-filled ruts carved out by preceding cars. Fortunately, the West Midlands Motorsport-prepared car stood up to the pounding, but arrived at service with numerous large dents in the floor, and gouges along the engine's sumpguard.

Preparing to leave the service area, the engine refused to fire. As the mechanics could not find the fault, the car had to be push-started and the crew arrived at the service time control with just three seconds to spare before incurring time penalties.

The drama continued on the next stage, Rushy Knowe, when the slippery surface on a tight left-hand bend sent the car into a 'fishtailing' skid. "That was a close call. I really thought we would collide with a car that was already in the ditch. But we kept the power on and the car straightened at the last second" said Hodge.

At the penultimate stage, Chirdonhead, the car stalled before the start, necessitating another push-start, this time from the marshals. Confusion abounded when the startline timing equipment failed, but once this was sorted, Hodge had a fast, trouble-free run.

After a short final 'spectator special' stage through the grounds of a mansion, the Telserve and Redstone Telecom-backed team arrived at the finish in Carlisle town centre, before preparing for the five-hour drive back to Oxford.

"That was great fun, but very challenging" said Hodge later. "The car handles much better than last year, and I'm getting more used to driving on forest tracks, so we are getting faster with each rally. Our next event is local, at the Abingdon Carnival Rally on June 11, where we hope to properly thank everyone that has helped us so much thus far."