Formula Ford is the focus of attention at the Castle Combe Circuit's Wiltshire College backed Carnival meeting on Saturday October 3, the final meeting of the 2009 season, with a famous name following in his family's footsteps.

Josh Hill, grandson of former double world champion, Graham and son of world champion, Damon, competes in the final round of the MSA Formula Ford championship of Great Britain, a traditional breeding ground for aspiring Formula 1 drivers. Both Graham and Damon competed at Castle Combe in the early days of their careers, Graham Hill in a C-type Jaguar in 1955 and Damon in a Formula Ford race in 1985.

Graham's drive at Castle Combe was a reward for his services to his then employer, Dan Margulies, for whom he was a mechanic. It was a 15 lap Free Formula race on Easter Saturday April 9th and was only Hill's 3rd race. His exact finishing position is not known, though it is believed he came 6th overall.

Damon was competing in his first full season of car racing in the same championship as his son. Driving a Van Diemen RF85 powered by an engine built by Nelson engines of Calne, Damon finished 6th behind Perry McCarthy (the first 'Stig'!) and ahead of those such as Johnny Herbert, Mark Blundell and Eddie Irvine.

Josh will be driving a Mygale for the Jamun Racing team and will have to contend with the formidable experience of the Gloucester based Kevin Mills Racing team who have engineered numerous Castle Combe championship titles and will be running three cars at this event.

Making his debut appearance in the championship is Bridgwater's Felix Fisher, currently second in the circuit's own FF1600 championship and leader of Class B. Fisher will have a busy day, defending his positions in the local championship with his Swift SC92 and swopping to an unfamiliar Juno for the British championship race.

The Carnival races for Formula Ford 1600 cars attract drivers from all over the country and beyond, Ashley Clifford coming from Majorca to drive the Dursley based Wayne Poole Racing team Van Diemen RF88. Amongst the favourites will be Bradford on Avon's Ed Moore in his Van Diemen RF99, Saltford's Steven Jensen in the Swift SC09 and Marcus Allen in the Kevin Mills Racing Swift SC92. Chepstow's Nick Jones, the 2004 pre 90 champion, returns with a Van Diemen RF87.

The circuit's own FF1600 championship may have been decided already, with Bratton's Ben Norton crowned at the last meeting, but that won't prevent another scintillating final race from developing. With the pressures of points scoring lifted, Norton will be even more determined to add to his four wins of the season. Trying to prevent him will be Fisher, Allen and Jensen, with Chippenham's Adam Higgins also looking for a piece of the action.

Fisher has a useful 9 point lead in Class B over Allen, but with 16 potentially available, it's still a very open race to the class title.Bradford on Avon's David Vivian in 3rd place in the class has an even handier 13 point lead over Swindon's Oliver Bull in another Wayne Poole run car, but still needs a decent finish.

The Wayne Poole team also runs Cirencester's Tom Margetson, neck and neck with Julian Heap for the Class C title with a three point advantage. Having beaten his rival in the last four races, Margetson has the psychological advantage and could bring the team yet another honour.

Another of the circuit's championships already decided is the Saloon Car Championship supported by National Mobile Windscreens, with Yatton Keynell's Jason Cooper taking the honours. He will still be wringing the neck of his Fiesta in Class D and hoping for the rain which will allow him to run at the very front of the field. Peasedown's Olly Lewis returns with his Peugeot 106 after his big accident at the August meeting and will again push Cooper to the limit.

Laurence Kilby is the local runner in the fast but fragile Class A Mitsubishi Evo, his AJEC team mate, Guy Higgs in with a chance of lifting the Class B title with his wayward BMW M3, should Bridgwater's Tony Dolley falter.  The super competitive class also has  Bristol's Mark Wyatt in the Astra, Ditcheat's Kevin Bird in the SEAT Leon, Cirencester's Jonathan Wills in the Maestro Turbo and Nailsworth's Keith Murray in his new Audi A3 all in with a chance of honours.

Reigning outright champion, Will Di Claudio, will be handing over his trophy but has already secured a new one for Class C honours, so can enjoy a straight battle with Yate's Nick Charles, both drivers in similar Peugeot 106s.

Attracting at least five former champions from the circuit's own Saloon Car championship, together with a number of other local names, is the Castle Combe Racing Club's Saloon Car Challenge. This two race event includes a handicap system and a reversed grid for race two, the overall winner decided on aggregate.

Reigning champion, Di Claudio, is joined by his former team mate and 2006/7 champion, Tony Hutchings from Calne in the Turnpike Racing Audi TT.Radstock's Julian Howell, the triple Class C  champion from the late 90's, wheels out his amazing Mini for a rare Castle Combe outing and Ilsa Cox, the1997 outright champion, returns with her SEAT Leon Cupra. Russell Humphrey, who won the championship in 1998, has his Lancer Evo 5. He will be up against the regular Lancer of Simon Norris, the Owen Developments car of Southmoor's Mark Harrison and an Evo 6 from Malmesbury's Tim Clarke.

Dolley, the 2003 champion, may well have clinched Class B of the circuit championship before this race, but in any case will enjoy another dice with Wyatt.

Other local entries include Chilcompton's Mike Edgell in his immaculate Mini and Leigh on Mendip's David Mears in the 205.

Another title to be settled is that for Castle Combe's Special GTs, in association with savesomemoney.info. This is a three way battle between the Class B winner, Simon Tilling, Stuart Dixon, who has already secured Class D and Trowbridge's Mark Funnell, the Class C champion for the second year running.

Funnell has a difficult, but not impossible, task to take his first outright crown. Even if he wins his class and takes fastest lap, Tilling will still beat him by finishing 4th or higher in his class. Funnell's best chance may lie with the weather gods as torrential rain suits his road going Exige, even with a 4 wheel drive Evo of Melksham's Simon Norris as his main rival.New opposition arrives in the form of Tetbury's David Krayem with a Ginetta G50.

Unable to overhaul Tilling for Class B honours, Trowbridge's Andrew Shanley can concentrate on winning the class in his Radical Prosport to add to the four he has notched up already this year. He may well be a contender for outright honours too, though that will depend on the performance of Bath's Guy Woodward, making his debut in Shane Marshall's 3.5 litre Jade 3. This is the last time such a big car will be allowed to compete in this championship, as from 2010, a 2 litre maximum will be imposed. Woodward will be fund raising for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Royal United Hospital, Bath, but has only qualifying to familiarise himself with the car, which is more sophisticated than the Jades which he has previously raced with success at his local circuit.

Completing the 'Formula Ford' theme are the final rounds of the Classic FF2000 and FF1600 championships. Swindon's Roger Newman is the sole local entry in his Van Diemen RF80.

Saturday's action starts at 8.45 am with qualifying, racing getting under way from 11.50 pm.

Admission prices are £12 for Adults, £6.00 for OAPs, £2.50 for Paddock Transfer, whilst accompanied children under 16 are admitted free.  For further information, visit the Castle Combe Circuit website on www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk   built by Racecar