Brands Hatch is set for some serious racing action this weekend as the Autotrader British Touring Car Championship makes it first visit of the year to the famous Kent circuit.

Leading the field at Brands is BTCC rookie, Frenchman Laurent Aiello, driving a Nissan Primera.

After two victories at Thruxton two weeks ago, the former French and German touring car ace is halfway to scooping a jackpot payout of £250,000 offered by series organiser TOCA to the first driver to win four consecutive round of the 1999 series.

Looking for a good result on its 'home' track will be the Brentwood-based Ford Mondeo team.

Now in the hands of the crack Prodrive outfit, the new Mondeo has shown excellent pace and last year's BTCC runner-up, Anthony Reid, driving for the Ford team along with Switzerland's Alain Menu will be looking for success.

As Reid said: "I won one race at Brands last year and was disqualfied after winning a second for a race incident with Volvo driver Rickard Rydell.

''The Mondeo has shown well this year and I think we have surprised a few people. We have suffered a bit of bad luck but hopefully wewill get back on track at Brands where I hold the lap record.

Saturday is qualifying day starting at 11.30am and for Sunday with two rounds, a 25-lap sprint race starts at 12.30pm.

With a 50-lap feature race with mandatory pit stop at 3.30pm, plus a full supporting cast of Slick 50 Formula Ford and Fiestas, Formula Renault and Spider and Formula Vauxhall and Vectra Challenge it promises to be an action--packed weekend.

Ticket prices are £22 on the gate, £20 advance, while children are allowed in free when accompanied by a paying adult.

The ticket hotline number is 0870 6060611

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.