RALLYMAN John Stone heads to the north-east this weekend needing a top three finish to maintain his chall-enge for the MSA Asphalt Championship.

The Blackburn businessman had been leading the series since May, but was an early retirement on the last round, the ALMC Stages based near Dublin.

Taking his ex-works Skoda Fabia WRC across the Irish Sea for the first time, Stone failed to make it to the first service halt, going out with a lack of turbo boost.

And the Legend Fires boss could only watch as his closest rival, Hereford's Damian Cole notched up his fourth win of the year to retake the championship lead.

As a result, Stone slipped to third overall, 18 points behind Cole and two adrift of second placed Simon Mauger.

But a good result in the ex-Harri Rovanpera machine could see him back at the top of the drivers standings.

And he has an added incentive - Cole won’t be travelling to the fearsome Otterburn Ranges on Sunday, opting to give the event a miss.

A late entry to the rally, Stone and co-driver Patrick Walsh have intially been seeded down at car 77, although it's hard to see the organisers Alnwick DMC letting the pair start that far down the order – if only on the grounds of safety.

Ahead of the 300bhp World Rally Championship car is a Ford Fiesta, Talbot Sunbeam and a Vauxhall Nova!

One driver who will definitely be there is Stone's Legend Motorsport team-mates, Mark Jasper/Don Whyatt, who were also casualties on the ALMC Stages after one of their Metro 6R4’s rear brake discs broke.

The resultant loss of a wheel rendered the car immobile and so they, too, could do with a change of fortune, not to mention some championship points.

The first car leaves the start of the Tyneside Stages on the Otterburn Ranges at 9.00am on Sunday and nine stages, totalling 90 miles, must be completed before the finish at the Otterburn Leisure Centre during the afternoon.