WITH EARLY ENTRY FEE CLOSING DATE IMMINENT.

With just over a month to go until early entries close for the fourth Tour Britannia, the list of entries for this combined race and rally event, unique within Great Britain, is filling up faster than in previous years. As well as showing that prospective entrants are aware that entries are still available at the 2007 price until March 3rd, the organisers, Alec Poole and Fred Gallagher, like to think that it also has something to do with the runaway success of last year's event.

"People say that we are lucky with the weather," said Poole earlier this week, "and that is certainly true, but there is a lot of effort put in to ensure that everything from the races and stages during the day to the - dare we say - extensive social activities of the evenings run so as to please the competitor." The three-day event was indeed well received last year with everything from the weather and the catering through to the races and the stages receiving compliments. It works hard to deserve its "competitor friendly" reputation that starts before scrutineering and goes right through to the prize giving.With what amounts to four race meetings to organise in three days and a clutch of all-tarmac special stages to marshal, the Historic Sports Car Club handles the races under the auspices of its Race Director, Grahame White while the stages are run by various motor clubs under the direction of Andrew Kellitt who is also Sporting Manager to the British contribution to the FIA World Rally Championship, Wales Rally GB.

For 2008, the popular three-day format has been retained but instead of starting south of London, this year the start moves to Cambridge, which means that, on the first day, many of the speed tests will be new to Tour Britannia, starting with a race on Snetterton Circuit. The hub of the rally is once more Coombe Abbey Hotel in the open countryside just to the east of Coventry. From here, Tour Britannia 2008 will set out and return from the last two days of competition that will visit race circuits such as Silverstone, Mallory Park, and Oulton Park.

There are two faces to Tour Britannia. There is the Competition Category in which the speed tests are against the clock to see who is fastest, and then there is the Regularity Category where the crews have to show that they can adhere closely to chosen average speeds and lap times. Both are challenging propositions and both have their own specialists and adherents. The Regularity category will be made a little more demanding this year in response to competitors' suggestions. All competitors get to drive an intelligently chosen route that enables them to enjoy some of the finest of Britain's scenery while still participating in a competitive event. Last year, special permission was granted for the competitors to enter a normally closed part of Windsor Park and drive the full length of the Long Walk. This year's treat is not yet revealed but, if the organiser's hopes are fulfilled, then the motto Veritas et Utilitas might give a clue.

Of the entries already received, the Competition names are slightly more numerous than the Regularity with many familiar names from previous years such as Howard Redhouse and Callum Guy in Porsche 911 Carrera RSs, Harvey Death in his indecently fast Mini Cooper S and Richard Frankel in the Alfa Romeo GTAm that surprised so many people last year. They are joined by a mix of Ferraris, Porsches and AC Cobras. There is equal variety, if not more so, in the Regularity entries that include John Ruston's Talbot 105, Anthony Moody's Aston Martin DB4GT and a Citröen SM crewed by Bob and Ann Linwood.

And a final reminder about the entry fees. Because there is a limit imposed by the number of racing grids that can be accommodated at each circuit - two Competition and one Regularity - if you want to do join in the fun of Tour Britannia 2008, you should not be too tardy in getting your name down. And if you do it before March 3rd, you get a nice financial bonus of £460 for the Competition category and £200 for the Regularity.