THE curtain is due to fall on this year’s concluding national Stock Car racing fixture in the westcountry, and fittingly there is a hugely appealing line-up at Smeatharpe Stadium, set to produce an action-packed afternoon of family entertainment on Sunday, October 25 (1p.m.). A deluge of major prizes and awards are up for grabs for the Formula Two Stock Cars, headlined by the Benevolent Fund Trophy. The fund exists to provide financial support for drivers who sustain injury while racing, and are unable to work. The trophy has an incredibly rich history, dating back to 1979.

The day’s entry is set to include some former winners of the trophy, including Paul Rice of Ideford who won it in 2022 at St Day in Cornwall and Jamie Avery of Newton Abbot, who was the last south west driver to win the trophy at Smeatharpe, in 2021. Former World Champion Luke Wrench of Crewe also aims to regain the trophy after his success came at Smeatharpe in 2018.

Aside from the Benevolent Fund Trophy race, the Formula Two Stock Cars will also race for The Ladies Trophy, which is traditionally contested at the season’s last fixture at Smeatharpe. A further fun custom is for the winner to receive a champagne overcoat – a complete drenching in champagne from the second, third and fourth placed drivers..

A further feature of the meeting will be the Ladies Charity race, aimed at raising money for the Benevolent Fund. The race is open to lady drivers who have not held a competition licence. Their entry requirement is to raise a minimum amount of sponsorship, which then benefits the Benevolent Fund.

A lively entry of Saloon Stock Cars will contest the penultimate round of their National Series. The first four rounds of the six-round series have been contested at Skegness, Cowdenbeath in Scotland, Mildenhall and Kings Lynn. Ten drivers set off in pursuit of the title, and heading into the penultimate round, the competition is wide open.

Westcountry hopes rest with Brad Compton-Sage of Temple Cloud. In July, Sage won the European Championship at Smeatharpe, and is optimistic that home track knowledge will advance his claims for the National Series.

The National Series contingent features reigning British Champion Ryan Santry of Diss and a clutch of Scottish stars including UK Champion Jordan Cassie of Armadale.

The last two meetings for Saloon Stock Cars at Smeatharpe have brought back-to-back success for Brad Eltham of Exmouth, and he will be seeking a third consecutive final win.

Plenty of lively action is expected from the 2 Litre National Bangers in this year’s Teamarama. Drivers will race in teams of four, and there are two quartets who regularly war with one another.

The DWO team have a strong reputation for crashing. Their team features Andrew Jones of Newton Abbot, Jamie Peters of Exeter, Harry Gelsthorp of Boston and former World Champion Steve Carter of Exeter.

Their sights will be trained on the BRML team which features Lewis Fasey of Sampford Peverell, brothers Steve and Rob Bugler of New Milton and Macauley Mills of Trowbridge.

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

The action will conclude with a Destruction Derby event, in which drivers will batter one another’s cars into submission.