THE grand opening meeting at Smeatharpe Stadium in the Blackdown Hills on Sunday, March 16, will feature BriSCA Formula Two Stock Cars, Saloon Stock Cars, and a highly significant event for 2 Litre National Bangers which brings a World Championship flavour to proceedings.

For the National Bangers, there is a World Championship Wild Card event. The winner will earn a seeded entry on to the grid for the World title race at Mendips Raceway in September.

Lewis Fasey of Sampford Peverell enjoyed a sensational season in 2024, with one of his early successes being victory in the corresponding Wild Card event. Fasey went on to become last year’s leading points scorer in National Bangers in the westcountry, and he will be presented with his award ahead of racing on Sunday.

Good local interest will include brothers Dan Galley of East Huntspill and Hayden Galley of Highbridge, along with several Exeter-based drivers such as Troy Hooper, Ben Styles and Adam Welsman.

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.

The Formula Two Stock Cars are the region’s glamour class, and in customary fashion, the MDP Services trophy is the top prize on the feature race. World Champion Luke Wrench of Crewe heads an impressive entry and will be aiming to regain the trophy he won previously in 2021.

The entry of Saloon Stock Cars will feature World, British and English Champion Archie Brown of East Huntspill who got his season off to a stunning start when he scored a hat-trick of wins at St Day in west Cornwall.