THE first visit this year of the country's fastest accelerating hill climb cars to Shelsley Walsh takes place this weekend.

Sunday's meeting, which features rounds 11 and 12 of the British Hillclimb Championship, is sure to see the outright record tested at the Teme Valley venue.

That's just as it was at the corresponding meeting last year when Graeme Wight junior logged the fastest ever time up the 98-year-old hill.

The Scotsman sped across the line in 24.85 seconds and into the history books as the first man to break 25 seconds up Shelsley Walsh.

This year sees a flurry of new top-line cars using brand new engines never seen in hill climbing before and already at other venues, outright records have been taken by Adam Fleetwood driving a 3.3 litre V8 powered Gould single seater.

This compares to reigning champion Wight's car, which has a less powerful 2.5 litre V6 but is a little lighter.

Talented Fleetwood is looking to win right from the outset with his brand new car, although Wight will be a very tough man to beat after winning three of Shelsley's four British Championship rounds last year and taking six victories in the 10 events so far this season.

It will be a tremendous showdown up the hill that has seen many great drivers including Sir Stirling Moss -- who was a special guest at last year's corresponding meeting -- drive up the seemingly short but deceptively difficult 1000 yards.

Four times British champion Roy Lane has a brand new carbon fibre Gould after many years with Pilbeam, the Warwick ace taking a brilliant second place overall at the last round at Gurston Down in Wiltshire after first taking the title in 1975!

Former champion Roger Moran from Orleton, near Leominster, is currently second in the championship and will be a major force in his Pilbeam MP88.

Inkberrow's Tim Mason, who is third in the championship, will be wringing the neck of his Gould V8 too as he tries to keep the newer cars behind him in the unlimited capacity class that has 28 entries - a recent record at Shelsley Walsh.

Apart from the F1 powered single seaters, there are 18 other classes running over the weekend that include modified production cars with Westfields and Caterhams, Sierra Cosworths, 911s Subaru Imprezas, Morgan +8s, an Evo 5 Mitsubishi plus one of the star cars of the meeting: Keith Murray in his 700bhp+ Audi Sport Quattro who is looking to take the saloon car record.

The number of motorcycle engined cars in British hill climbing continues to grow with the 600cc, 1100cc and 1600cc classes bulging with immensely rapid machinery.

Tony Hunt in his 600cc Jedi set the record at this meeting last year, while Mark Budgett set the 1100cc record at Shelsley last year and looks to set another after a hike in horsepower over the winter in his carbon fibre Force car that weighs 260kgs with 180 bhp at the wheels.

The 2 litre class will be equally as tight with Trevor Willis, Ben Butterfield and Paul Haimes looking to take Willis' record from last September.

The Ferrari Hill Climb Championship, classic racing cars, Lotus and a celebration of Chevron cars make up other classes too for a glimpse of racing from bygone times.

Practice starts at 10am tomorrow with the main action on Sunday starting at the same time.

Spectator entrance, car parking, access to the whole of hill and paddock is £6 Saturday, £12 on Sunday.

The Midland Automobile Club, which administers the hill, recently set up the Shelsley Trust, an appeal designed to raise £1.5 million to secure a new 99-year lease for the site and renovate existing buildings at the venue.

The money needs to be raised by March 2004, when the current lease expires. Donations will be welcomed on the day, to help ensure that this September's final meeting of the season is not the last.