Drivers Jason Hughes and Fiona Leggate found a novel way of warming up for Oulton Park's Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship rounds on 14 May.

Both expect a rollercoaster ride around Oulton's swooping lay-out on Sunday when Britain's top racing drivers don their race suits and do battle in their war-painted BTCC cars.

So what better way to get all revved up for the North-West's big BTCC race weekend than with a high-speed ride on Blackpool Pleasure Beach's world famous rollercoaster ride and a meeting with Roman gladiator soldiers in the historic city of Chester, just outside Oulton?

Preston-based Hughes has high hopes of a successful day's racing at his home track of Oulton. His Kartworld team has just swapped its MG's V6 engine for an up-to-date four-cylinder motor that should make the car a lot quicker.

Leggate is the BTCC's only female driver and competes, uniquely, in a car running on bio-ethanol - a fuel made from farming crops. The 25-year-old from Lincolnshire, racing a Vauxhall Astra for the Thurlby Motors Boston Bowl with Tech-Speed team, uses the profile of the BTCC - Britain's biggest motor racing championship - to promote the UK farming industry.

Hughes, aged 36, says: "I love the Oulton track - it's a bit of a rollercoaster ride itself - and I want to put on a show for the home crowds. My new engine is more powerful and I'm looking to move up the grid and challenge for a podium finish.

"The Oulton crowd is always one of the biggest of the year so the atmosphere is second to none. The racing in the BTCC is incredibly close and a few tempers are already starting to fray. The spectators will be in for a real treat."

Hughes and Leggate - joined at Blackpool by new SEAT BTCC signing Darren Turner who will make his championship debut later in the season - know that winning at Oulton will be incredibly hard. Among the star names are reigning Champion and current points leader Matt Neal (Droitwich), in his Team Halfords Honda Integra, and former title-winners and now SEAT team-mates Jason Plato (Oxford) and James Thompson (Harrogate).

Also gunning for glory will be the likes of Team RAC's Colin Turkington (Portadown), currently second in the standings, and fellow young rising star Tom Chilton in his Vauxhall Astra and a winner at Oulton in 2005. Mike Jordan (Sutton Coldfield), in his Team Eurotech with John Guest Racing Honda, is on a high following his maiden BTCC win in the most recent round at Mondello Park three weeks ago.

Admission to Oulton Park's BTCC race day - the championship's only visit this year to the North-West - is FREE for children aged 12 and under, while adult tickets can still be bought for just £20.00 on the oultonpark.co.uk website or via the ticket hotline 0870 950 9000.

The BTCC's stars will be in race action three times and there will also be the chance for the crowds to meet them for autographs and give-aways during the hugely-popular Pit Lane Walkabout session that is open free of charge. In addition to the BTCC, there will be another six races put on by prestige manufacturers BMW, Porsche, Renault and SEAT.