THE Trackrod Rally, which has made its home in Pickering, is adopting a new format for its annual event on September 26 and 27.

Spokesman Keith McGhie said all events will be based at Pickering Showground. The North Yorkshire Forest stages will again be the setting for the toughest stages when the Trackrod Historic Cup, the Trackrod, Forest Stages and the Armstrong Massey Land Rover Challenge take place.

The Historic Cup will form the climax of the seven-round West Wales Rally Spares RAC Rally Championship and penultimate round of the Motoscope Northern Historic Rally Championship.

Events in the forest will be illuminated on the Friday night because two stages will be run after dark. Competitors will restart at 8am on the Saturday from Pickering Showground, covering a total of 55 miles, with the first car due back at the venue at about 1.30pm.

The Trackrod Forest Stages forms round eight of the REIS BTRDA Rally Series, as well as a round of regional championships, taking in the forests of Cropton, Gale Rigg, Dalby and Langdale.