WEST Country motor sport fans are looking forward to another classic season at the Castle Combe Circuit, with their old favourites returning for another memorable season and some prestigious new races keeping things fresh.

The first meeting of 2008, on Easter Monday, sees a coup for Castle Combe with the prestigious Formula Ford Golden Helmet Trophy race coming to the Wiltshire track for the first time.

This is an annual race devised by the British Racing Drivers Club - the organisers of the British Grand Prix.

It's regarded as one of the world's top events for Formula Ford 1600 cars and has previously featured some well known Castle Combe exponents.

Local ace Ed Moore, from Bradford On Avon, will surely want to add this to his long list of successes.

Classic Saloon cars from some of the circuit's previous Retro and Classic Saloon meetings also help get the year off to a good start, with a variety of Touring Cars from the 60s, 70s and 80s out in force.

Highlight of the May Day meeting could well be the Open Sports & Saloon race, a previously successfully innovation by the Castle Combe Racing Club which should see a massed grid of interesting and unusual machinery.

Expect entries from those also taking part in the LMA Eurosaloon Championship, the MG Midget Challenge and the circuit's Special GT and Saloon championships.

The first two-day meeting of the year on the 19th and 20th July brings with it some of the best action from the UK's premier championships as part of the Dunlop Great and British Motorsport Festival, returning to Castle Combe after a one year break.

Joining the Festival for 2008 is the BARC/Dunlop Sport Maxx Cup, a championship for production cars including BMW, Alfa Romeo, MG, Vauxhall, VW, Renault, Nissan, Fiat, Citroen, SEAT and MINI.

Heralded as a potential feeder series to the British Touring Car Championship, there should be plenty of door handling dicing to keep everyone amused.

Le Mans style sportscar racing is a feature of the new Radical UK Cup, which promises packed grids, compulsory pit stops, driver changes and some of the fastest cars to race at national level this year.

August is Castle Combe's busiest racing month, with a pair of two day meetings, the one on the 2nd and 3rd August being the very first devoted to Historic racing.

The Masters Racing Series often sees high profile names guest driving in the various championships, so spot the retired Grand Prix and Le Mans stars, with the occasional celebrity amongst the entry list.

The cars are the real stars though, with everything from big banger American muscle to indecently rapid Mini Coopers which can beat them all if it rains.

Two weeks later we have another two day event, but this time for two wheeled machinery.

The Moto Star Motorcycle Raceday features the ACU Star Championships, Suzuki GSX-R Trophy, F2 Sidecars, Formula 125, GP 125 & 250, Ducati Sport 1000 Cup, The Lansdowne Trophy, Parades and the Castle Combe Superbike Grand National Invitation Race.

The traditional August Bank Holiday Monday meeting is the A Plant LUX Traffic Controls Sportscar Raceday with Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Morgan and the Sports Racing & GT Challenge. If you are into sportcars, this event is not to be missed.

If you like MGs you'll love September's MG Raceday, with every kind you can possibly imagine and even the occasional Frogeye' Sprite.

Returning to Castle Combe after a one year sabbatical is the British Superkart Championship.

These long-circuit karts are simply breathtaking to watch, especially at Camp corner, where braking is only for wimps!

If you've been suffering Caterham withdrawal symptoms then the Rover engined Caterham Academy cars have two races to get you back on track.

The final meeting of the year on Saturday 4th October is always an exciting one at Castle Combe, but in 2008 it's even more so.

As well as the traditional Formula Ford Carnival, with drivers from all over the UK and often some from further afield, battling it out for the ultimate prize, this year, the circuit's own Melton Concrete Products FF1600 championship will host its final round at this meeting too.

This can only add to the excitement and tension at what is always a tremendous finale to the year.

There are also the final rounds of the Castle Combe National Mobile Windscreens Saloons and savesometax.co.uk Castle Combe Special GT Championships, which feature at all the races throughout 2008.

All this adds up to another incredible action-packed season of racing for motorsport fans.

So don't miss out and book your seat at the hottest and most adrenaline-fuelled party around!

2:51pm Thursday 28th February 2008

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