TONIGHT'S motorsport at the Foxhall Stadium is another of the popular All Rod meetings.It's pure racing all evening rather than the bash and crash normally associated with stock car events.

TONIGHT'S motorsport at the Foxhall Stadium is another of the popular All Rod meetings.

It's pure racing all evening rather than the bash and crash normally associated with stock car events.

There is a big following for this type of racing, and there's no better place to see it than on the big quarter mile oval track at Foxhall – the biggest in the country, but still not so big that the cars ever go out of sight.

That means that spectators can see all the racing all the time, so there's no need to miss any of the skilful overtaking manoeuvres, or any of the crashes and other incidents as they occur.

The National Hot Rods top the bill. These are the elite formula of European saloon car racing, based on modern day hatchbacks like the Renault Clio, Ford Fiesta, Ford Focus, Peugeot 206 and so on, but that is where the similarity with ordinary road cars comes to an end.

These have all the racing goodies added on in terms of tyres, suspension, transmission and engine which, by the time a car is ready to race, will set each driver back about £20,000.

Despite the price tag, there's no shortage of competitors with around 35 of them expected for round 13 of the World Championship Qualifying Series, from which just the top 20 points scored after 16 rounds have been completed go forward to the World Championships.

They take place at Ipswich, over the weekend of July 13/14.

Reigning world champion John Steward from Kent heads the entry, backed up by all the country's big names, including the current World Series leader Malcolm Blackman from Bucks and a host of top locals.

Amongst the local contingent is Neil Stimson from Peterborough, currently lying third in the World Series, Ipswich's Carl Boardley (sixth) who has made a top four finish in the World Championship itself for the last two years, and Attleborough's Steve Skitmore, who has been racing in the formula for many years and is currently 11th in the series.

The two-litre Hot Rods are also on the bill. These are similar cars but without many of the expensive items found on the national cars. Even so, there is little change out of £10,000 for one of these.

Once again, almost all the stars from around the country are expected, including European champion Mark Boulden from Aldershot, Surrey's Andy Sturt who won the final here on Easter Monday, World Champion Dave Longhurst, from Sussex (who also races in the national hot rods) and leading local drivers in Gary Goodswen from Harleston, Jonathan Field from Peterborough and Martyn Dew from Needham Market.

The Stock Rods complete the package – again these are modern day hatchbacks, but are limited to 1400cc.

The Vauxhall Nova is the most popular choice, and is favoured by the majority of the country's leading names, most of whom have already booked for Saturday.

Former European champion Stuart Smyth from Hayes is currently on a good run, but so are the Peterborough pair of Wayne Leedell and Steve Brattan, Essex driver Jon Evans, and the formula's top lady racer in Lisa Kerry from Stradbroke.

There should be a total of at least 11 races, possibly more, the evening gets under way at the usual 7pm start time.