THRUXTON - the fastest motor racing circuit in the UK - plays host this weekend to some of the most explosive action of the year with the annual visit of the hugely popular British touring car Championship circus.

The fifth and sixth rounds of the Green Flag BTTC Championship around the super fast, sweeping bends of the 2.3 miles local track will be held on Bank Holiday Monday and there is also a unique opportunity for fans to get a close look at the spectacular BTCC cars and the heroic drivers.

Matt Neal, a real crowd favourite, will be keen for some better luck than that experienced last time out at Oulton Park in Cheshire. Neal, who had secured a tremendous double pole position at Oulton, endured two disappointing races, claiming just one fourth place and currently lies second in the points table for Egg Sport, behind fellow Vauxhall driver Yvan Muller.

Muller, the runner-up in last year's championship, has been a race winner already twice this season and, despite Vauxhall missing the official Thruxton test, must be favourite for overall honours this weekend.

His team-mate at Vauxhall Motorsport, James Thompson, will be hoping that the technical gremlins blighting the team's winning performance at Oulton Park have been solved - so that he, too, can get back to his winning ways.

Paul O'Neill experienced the top step of the winners' rostrum for the first time at Oulton, when he scored his debut BTCC win for Egg Sport. This hugely personable Liverpudlian is more than proving his worth in Britain's premier motorsport championship and will be one to watch at Thruxton.

Although race victories so far have all gone the way of Vauxhall, the competition between manufacturers this year is intense. MG Sport and Racing is fielding two experienced drivers in Warren Hughes and Anthony Reid and has already scored three strong podium results. Likewise Team Halford boasts the dynamic pairing of Tim Harvey and Dan Eaves, both of whom have displayed the competitiveness of the Peugeot 406 Coup.

New teams Honda Racing and Team Petronas Syntium Proton, who are developing the new Civic Type-R and Proton Impian respectively, are already mixing it with the front runners - with David Leslie scoring Team PSP's first ever podium last time out.

Said Leslie: "I had my first ever touring car win at Thruxton so it holds many great memories for me - as well as one or two heart-stopping moments! As the fastest circuit in Britain, it is also one of the most difficult - this is a circuit you have to respect."

Others to watch out for in the main Touring Class include the Barwell Motorsport duo of Tom Chilton - the youngest ever BTCC driver who incredibly secured a podium finish on his debut at Brands Hatch - and Aaron Slight, the former World Superbike star, both of whom compete in Vauxhall Astra Coups. Just as newsworthy is the new MG team, Team Atomic Kitten, which made a successful debut Oulton Park with Gareth Howell scoring a fine fourth place in the Feature Race .

In the Production Class, Norman Simon currently heads the points table for Edenbridge Racing. However it was James Kaye who dominated proceedings at Oulton in his Civic Type-R for Synchro Motorsport, claiming both pole positions and a race win - the other win going to Spencer Marsh for Beacon Motorsport.

However all eyes will be on local driver Rob Collard (Hook) as he battles back from engine dramas and looks to regain the form that secured him a popular class victory at the opening meeting. Mark Fullalove, Tech-speed Motorsport, will also be looking for two strong results to confirm his status as championship contender - and Jim Edwards Jnr will be keen for Team B&Q Jet York City to carry the momentum from his second place finish last time out onto the Hampshire venue.

The sprint race is scheduled to start at 12.40pm with the feature race due off at 4.15pm. For ticket information please call: 01264 882200.

Stockbridge rally driver Justin Dale, driving for the Peugeot 206 Super 1600 works team, started his 2002 Pirelli British Championships campaign with fourth place in the opening round at Gateshead in Northumberland last weekend.

The 30-year-old Dale, who missed out on becoming the British champion for the first time last year with the championship cancelled due to the foot and mouth crisis, had a few braking problems but still clocked fastest time on two of the stages.

The next round of the championship will be in Wales on 18 May for the International Rally of Wales.

St Mary Bourne racer Phil Jeffery endured a miserable start to his Volkswagen Racing Cup season recently when engine problems prevented him from starting either of the opening two rounds at Donnington.

Jeffery, the reigning Class C champion, had no choice but to pull out after it became clear on the warm-up lap that all was not right but hoped to be back in action for the next two rounds at Oulton Park on 11 May.