BILLED AS Mayday Mayhem, the Mayday Monday race meeting at Smeatharpe Stadium in the Blackdown Hills has an exciting mix of four classes, with just shy of 100 drivers expected to feature.

Saloon Stock Cars – rough, hard hitting action-packed racing: Reigning World, British and English Champion Archie Brown of East Huntspill will head the entry of Saloon Stock Cars, as he looks to continue a strong run of form. Brown has already won three of the eight races for Saloon Stock Cars at Smeatharpe this season, and was the runner-up in the Under 25s championship of Great Britain at Kings Lynn. Even after just two meetings at Smeatharpe, Brown is enjoying a healthy lead in the Track Championship standings.

Fellow nineteen year old racer, Corey Hunt of Newton Abbot, claimed back-to-back feature final wins over Easter, as he took the honours at Mendips Raceway on Easter Sunday and then at Smeatharpe the next afternoon.

National Bangers (2 litre) – rough, uncompromising, spectacular, destructive: Following a lively and action-packed first meeting for 2 Litre National Bangers at Smeatharpe in mid-March, another dose of spectacular racing and crashing is expected.

The Cornish pair of Luke Gillbard and Jamie Smith have emerged as the early season leaders of the Entertainers League, and have already feature in head-to-head duels during end of meeting Destruction Derby events. Gillbard of Launceston and Smith of Wadebridge are again part of the entry, as is Ryan Miles of Gillingham, Dorset.

For most drivers in the 2-litre National Banger class, the majority will be racing either a Ford Mondeo, Ford Cougar or Vauxhall Astra.

At the end of the meeting, the action will conclude with a Destruction Derby event, in which drivers will batter one another’s cars into submission, and the driver of the last mobile car will be declared the winner.

Stock Rods – close, non-contact racing: Two meetings into the new season, the non-contact Stock Rods have been regraded, which will result in a shuffle of the order of the starting grids. Two local drivers are heading in opposite directions on the new gradings.

Stalwart racer Dave Cottrell of Wellington enjoyed a fine debut performance in the class in mid-April, as he won his first Stock Rod race. That has helped him achieve a grade promotion. In contrast, Tom Larcombe of Bishops Lydeard has been demoted one grade. The twenty year old racer ended last season in style, by claiming the Grand National Championship at St Day in Cornwall. However, it has been a frustrating start to the new season and he will be hoping the demotion is the kickstart that triggers a better run of form.

Ministox – 11-16 year olds, the training ground for the stars of tomorrow: The number of youngsters in the Ministox class, which effectively provides a training ground for the 11-16 year olds before they move into a senior formula, has been a strong level this season, boosted by a notable influx of newcomers to the ranks.

British and Irish Open Champion Mason Sealy of Bishops Lydeard and Jack Jones of Four Marks, East Hampshire, fought out a stunning battle when the junior class last raced at Smeatharpe, with Jones just getting the verdict by a narrow margin.

It all adds up to the prospect of an exciting day’s racing at Smeatharpe. . .