Gurston Down opens up for its 35th season of speed hillclimbing this weekend with the CCC/BARC/HAS Speed Championship on Saturday and the Gates of Brockenhurst Hillclimb Championship on Sunday.

Speeds can exceed 130mph on the narrow, twisty, tarmac-surfaced course, and the most powerful cars can out-accelerate a modern Formula 1 Grand Prix car from a standing start.

Among the local drivers doing battle will be Tim Stevens from Wimborne who set the track alight last year in his 1.8 Lotus Exige when he shattered Gurston's oldest class record in the up-to-2,000cc modified production marque sports car class.

The modified production saloons class up-to-1,400cc always brings out a bevy of locals, and the cream of this class includes Peter Arscott from Southampton.

The up-to-2,000cc modprod saloons is always a close-fought affair and Verwood's Andy Bascombe (2.0 Mk 2 Escort) will be a front-runner.

The up-to-2,000cc modprod sportscar class is populated almost entirely by highly modified two-litre Westfields.

Andrew Forsyth from Poole and hill sponsor Jonathan Gates from Lymington, who this season has also provided a new course van, will be right in the thick of it.

Geoff Hunt from Andover brings out his pristine 1.6 Lotus 22 in the 'historically interesting' class and in the up to 2,000cc sports racing car class, Paul Webster from Fareham aboard his 2.0 Pulsar again takes on Tim Daniel from Newbury in his 2.0 Vision.

A new entry in the over 2,000cc sports racing car class comes from Chris Cannell from Salisbury and partner (life and driving) Sue Hayes who pilot their stunning 2.6 Force SR8.

The damage from an 'off' at Gurston's test day on March 30 will hopefully be repaired in time to see this beautiful car in action.

Rob Barksfield from Corfe Mullen fields his lightweight 1.1 PCD Saxon against Duncan Barnes' (Totton) 1.0 Force 12 in the up to 1,100cc class.

New Milton's Ian Chard brings out his DJ 1.6 Firehawk against the 1.4 OMS of Peter Sexton from Lymington in the up to 1,600cc class.

Potentially the fastest cars go in the over 2,000cc racing car class, and some new names will come to the fore.

Former Gurston maestro Rod Eyles, the 2002 British Sprint champion, returns to the Wiltshire hill running a 3.5 Lola HC.

Stockbridge father and son Mike and Nik Gregory appear in their 4.0 Pilbeam, the car that until last year held the outright hill record at Gurston.

And the dark horse in the 'top class', and a possible candidate for Best Time of the Day (BTD) is BAR Formula 1 team aerodynamicist Willem Toet.

Willem has bought a Pilbeam from last year's Gurston Down Top Ten Challenge winner Karl Davison, who is not competing this season, and has fitted the Challenge winning four-litre Judd V8 in it. He should fly...

The action starts at 8.30 each day and admission is £6 with accompanied under-14s free.

The hill is at Broadchalke nine miles south-west of Salisbury.