BAMPTON rally driver Dominic Hodge scored his best result since returning to the sport last year, at Sunday's Oak Leaf Stages Rally at Wilbarston airfield in Northamptonshire.

Driving his Telserve and Redstone Telecom-backed Peugeot 205 GTi, Hodge and co-driver Matt Barker finished a highly encouraging 20th overall and second in class, on a day dominated by the changeable weather.

The rally featured 60 miles of competition over nine timed special stages and Hodge, buoyed by his good start to the season at the recent Malcolm Wilson Rally in Cumbria, started well.

In sunny conditions and on his preferred surface of tarmac, he set a series of times just outside the top 20, against tough opposition that included more modern and powerful Mitsubishi and Subaru four-wheel-drive cars.

Hodge said: "That was thoroughly enjoyable, despite the conditions. We hadn't originally intended to do this rally, but it turned out to be a good test.

"Matt, my co-driver, is a former champion driver in Peugeot 205s, and he really helped me today, giving tips about how and where I can go quicker. I'm really looking forward to the next event at the Pirelli National Rally in May. We crashed into a ditch last year, so I'm determined to have a strong finish this time."