THE curtain will be raised on the start of the new national Stock Car racing season, when Smeatharpe Stadium – between Taunton and Honiton – plays host to a 15-race programme, headlined by Saloon Stock Cars and BriSCA Formula Two Stock Cars on Sunday afternoon (1pm).

There will be an impressive showing of Formula Two Stock Cars for their opening westcountry fixture of the seaon. Fittingly, for a new season, there will be a lot of new cars on the grid, with three of the region’s star names set to unveil gleaming new machinery.

Former English Open and European Champion Neil Hooper of Exmouth has a new car which has gain been built at the Motorworld workshops in Cornwall. The 2013 World Champion James ‘Tiger’ Rygor of Westbury has a new car from the TLF workshops in East Anglia, which was on display at the NEC, Birmingham in January, and Chris Mikulla of Weston Super Mare has a car built by RCE in Leicestershire.

Local interest will include the father and son duo of Matt and Sam Weston of Bridgwater, comeback racer Jamie Pepper of Cullompton and Mike Priddle of Milverton.

Mention the words ‘Stock Cars’ to anyone and Saloon Stock Cars would invariably be the image that is conjured up in their minds.

These are battle scarred chariots carrying heavy offensive and defensive armouring, where full contact racing is most definetly the name of the game.

Saloon Stock Cars are occasionally conroversial, very hard hitting, contact racing and not for the feint hearted as cars hit, spin and sporadically roll over!

The heavyweight Saloon Stock Cars will race at Smeatharpe for the first time this year, in what is a hugely significant season for them. Over the weekend of 20/21 June, the British Championship will be contested at Smeatharpe.

Former double World Champion Eddie Darby of Newton Abbot will lead the entry for the first meeting of the season, alongside Steve Webster of Sheffield, who won the National Championship at Smeatharpe last summer.

Plenty more westcountry drivers will be looking to make a good start to the season. Among them will be Ben King of Taunton who aims to make his debut, Ian Govier of Broadclyst, and former British Champion Phil Powell of Taunton.

Bangers – exciting, fun-filled racing from these clapped out MOT failures.

Last November, Chris Jeanes of West Hatch scored a famous victory in the Banger Championship at Ipswich, and he will be invited to lead the Grand Parade on the occasion of his first home track appearance since winning the World title.

Stock Rods – close, non-contact racing.

The non-contact Stock Rods will return to Smeatharpe for the first time since last September.