After two high-speed tarmac events, it is back to gravel stages for round eight of the Armajaro MSA British Historic Rally Championship in the Trackrod Historic Cup on Saturday 2 October.The fast Yorkshire forest stages make up the penultimate event of the 2004 championship season and a cracking historic entry will thrill the fans alongside the penultimate round of the Pirelli British Rally Championship.Historic (category 1)Such has been the performance of Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride (Porsche 911) that they cannot now be beaten to the overall BHRC title. Unbeaten in seven events to date, the Irish crew was recently confirmed as popular BHRC champions. Now, they will head to Yorkshire determined to keep on winning and with championship pressures now lifted, they will be even harder to beat. Leading the chase of Nut/McBride will be the similar Porsches of Francis Tuthill and John Morris as well as Humberside crew Chris and Hilary Green in their Lotus Cortina. The Greens' main focus is now securing class B4 spoils as well as second overall in the historic category and they usually go very well on their home event. Neil Calvert/Arlene Cookson and Paul Mankin/Des Bell should be the main rivals to the Greens in their similar Lotus Cortinas.Another Cortina crew having a cracking season are the son and father pairing of Jonathan and Graham Gale. Their Cortina GT is setting the pace in class B3, but will again face the challenge of Ronnie Roughead/Ian Canavan.Mike Barratt/Michelle Calvert should head class B2 in their Mini Cooper S after two cracking performances on the recent tarmac events, with their closest challenge likely to come from the Mini of Philip and Barbara Smith.Finally, in class B1 the wonderful Saab 96 of John Parker/Robert Harrison should be a real favourite with the fans and their sterling performance in the two-stroke machine has taken them well into the top 10 scorers in the historic category.Post-historic (category 2)Although he cannot match the score of Nutt/McBride in the overall BHRC standings, Steven Smith clinched the post-historic category last time out on the Tour of Flanders in Belgium. Smith has been the star of the season in his Ford Escort RS2000 and will now head to Yorkshire for one of his favourite events.Smith still has a mission on the Trackrod to score well as his regular partner John Nichols bids to clinch the co-drivers title in the post-historics. John had to miss Flanders due to work commitments, so they need a good result in Yorkshire to complete a perfect season."We both love the Yorkshire roads, and whilst our RS2000 gets a bit breathless in forests as fast as Dalby, if conditions get a bit sticky we will be aiming for a top three placing," says Smith.Smith's Pinto-powered Escort RS2000 will surely set the class C3 pace, although the presence of James and David Young will give Smith/Nichols some very serious class opposition. However, the fast Yorkshire stages will put the more powerful class C5 Escorts to the fore and it is the BDA-powered MK1s of Richard Gower/Carl Williamson, Ray Bellm/Marc Solloway and David Stokes/Den Golding that should set the pace.Gower and Bellm have both suffered various dramas in recent events to blunt their title bids, while Stokes will be returning to action in a newly-prepared car after a massive accident on the Isle of Man.Victory in Flanders was a fine result for Chris Browne/Ali Cornwell in their Escort and Browne should be strong in Yorkshire, while Graham Samuel/Tony Phillips are also having an excellent campaign. However, in terms of overall post-historic success, the Escorts face a very big challenge on the fast Yorkshire stages from the Datsun 240Z of Dominic Frattaroli/Wyn Thomas. If Frattaroli's sometimes ill-fortune stays away, he could be setting the ultimate pace. The Porsche pack in the post-historics is also strong and is headed by Stuart Rolt/tba and Graham Wilson/Steve Dear. Rolt would have taken victory in Belgium but for a last stage retirement.Finally, a strong run in Belgium has put the 1600cc Escort of Ken Forster/John Stanger-Leathes ahead in class C2 from David Dyer/Graham Wride and Chris Gravestock/Mark Harmer.