WILL the 2002 British Hill Climb Champion be crowned at Prescott?

That's the question to be answered on Sunday, September 1 when the Bugatti Owners' Club stages the last but one meeting in this year's Tran-X sponsored series.

It's a straight fight between two of the sport's top drivers - title holder Graeme Wight Jnr (Aberdeen) and the vastly experienced Tim Mason from Ink-berrow in Worcestershire.

Prescott is the third of four British Championship meetings in five weeks and the pressure is on for both of them. After the Shelsley Walsh event last week Wight leads Mason by a single point.

But Prescott will not be a two horse race, far from it. While Wight and Mason will have their sights set on the title, other leading drivers will be out for maximum points in the two championship run-offs. Former champion Roger Moran (Ludlow), battling Rob Turnbull (Sutton Coldfield) - a winner at Prescott in June - and stylish Simon Durling (Sevenoaks) should all be o n the pace, while veteran Roy Lane (Warwick) knows Prescott better than anyone. Then there's Hereford's Deryk Young in his impressive Dallara-Judd and Wiltshire visitor Karl Davison, plus the talented Martin Groves in his unique Atol single-seater. Watch too for several rapid drivers in the other racing car classes who will be after title points and seeking to humble the big cars in the process.

Local men Chris Merrick (Stroud) and Alastair Crawford (Cheltenham) will again take on the big names in their V8 Pilbeam-Judd racing cars. Chris explains: "The championship should be a great battle between Graeme Wight Jnr and Tim Mason and I shall try really hard to get in both the run offs. That won't be easy as all the racing cars are so quick now. It should be a great meeting and after a busy season I'm looking forward to coming back to Prescott."

There are several other summer long battles hotting up as the season moves into its closing stages. The Clarks TVR Midland Championship, the Avon/BMTR Top Ten Challenge, the Power-Mec Leaders Championship, the Prescott Gold Cup and the Paul Matty Classic Challenge all feature in the Prescott programme. The Ferrari Challenge class and the Historic Lotus section are crammed full of interesting cars.

Local drivers Richard and Gill Marshall (Bishops Cleeve) look set for another class win. Rob Walpole (Bishops Cleeve) has a very rapid Subaru Impreza and will be up against Simon Tarling (Gotherington) in his Lancia. Tony Hunt (Tirley) and Tony Shearman (Tewkesbury) should set the pace in the 600cc racers, and class record holder Phil Cooke (Cricklade) likewise in the 1600s. Fastest of the closed cars could well be Keith Murray (Cirencester) in his highly tuned Audi Quattro who broke his class record at Shelsley Walsh.

Prescott is five miles north-east of Cheltenham off the main A435 Evesham road near the village of Gotherington, and will be fully RAC signed.

Practice starts at 9.30am tomorrow (Saturday) with the competitive runs at 10am on Sunday. Adult admission is £6 on Saturday and £10 on Sunday. Children under 14 are admitted free and car parking is free.

The end of season Prescott meeting is on the weekend of September 28 and 29 which includes the new Prescott Gravity Challenge - for downhill racers!