CASTLE Combe is gearing up for its biggest meeting of the season over the Saturday and Sunday of June 25 and 26 - the John Guest Speedfit British Formula 3 and GT Speed Festival.

The British Formula 3 championship is widely regarded as one of the most important feeder formulas on the planet, its previous contenders reading like a Who's Who? of the world's top drivers.

Currently, the most famous name to have competed in an F3 race at Castle Combe is BAR F1 driver Takuma Sato.

This year, another famous name returns to the Wiltshire circuit. Some 23 years after a young Ayrton Senna competed at Combe in a Formula Ford 2000 race, his nephew Bruno Senna is undertaking his first season in the championship, running with the Raikkonen Robertson Racing team, formed by F1 star Kimi.

Unfortunately, the Brazilian has limited experience of racing generally, so is unlikely to emulate his uncle who dominated the 1982 event in a year when he won every race he entered.

A West Country driver who has every chance of showing well is Bridgwater's Josh Fisher, who is contending the National Class of the F3 championship with Team SWR Crypton.

He currently lies fourth in the championship after a disappointing last race at Thruxton when a tear-off strip from another driver's visor wrapped around his Dallara's airbox, causing him to pit and lose four places.

With father Brian, a well- known character at Castle Combe, having been Special GT champion there, young Fisher will be hoping for better luck at his local venue.

American Charlie Kimball is the man on form, having won both the last two rounds at Thruxton, though he is some way behind on points to the championship leader, Estonian Marko Asmer, who has still to clinch his first race victory.

The British GT championship has some of the most awesome machinery this side of Le Mans, with local racing ace Nick Adams, from Bath, one of the leading entries in the GT3 category.

Adams is arguably the West Country's most successful ever race driver, next to Jenson Button, having won a Grovewood award, been World Sports Car champion, C2 pole-sitter at Le Mans in '88 and '89, and holder of the current C2 lap record at Le Mans. He will be sharing a Ferrari 360 alongside Marco Attard.

Scuderia Ecosse runs the two championship leading Ferrari 360 Modenas for Andrew Kirkaldy/Nathan Kinch and Chris Niarchos/Tim Mullen.

The weekend gets under way on Saturday with practice from 8.35am and racing commencing at 3.25pm. The first race on the Sunday is 9.10am.

Admission on Saturday is £6 adults, OAPs £3 and children and paddock transfer free. Sunday's charges are £18 for adults, OAPs £9 (children free) and paddock transfer £5. An advance two-day pass is available for £22.

More information available on the Castle Combe event line on 09003 405418 or on-line at www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk