THERE is a break from the norm at the Oaktree Arena tomorrow (Friday), when the home of the ‘Cases’ Somerset Rebels stages the second round of the ACU British Sidecar Speedway Championships. 

Hair-raising 1,000cc sidecars will descend on the track for what promises to be a keenly-contested second round of the British Championship.

Leading the pack is four-time British Masters Champion Mark Cossar, from Rugby, who, with passenger Carl Blyth, says he can’t wait to open the throttle on the Somerset track.

He said: “We’ve all heard plenty of good reports about the circuit and seen it on TV.

“There looks to be plenty of room and race-lines for us sidecars, so everyone is really looking forward to it.

“Of course I hope to secure a second victory, but, along the way, I think we’re all set for a night of very decent racing.”

If the first round at Leicester a fortnight ago was anything to go by, Somerset race fans will not go home disappointed.

On a night packed with audacious overtaking manoeuvres, Cossar fought out a titanic battle in the final with Nottingham’s Paul Whitlelam, just taking the chequered flag after battling his way through from third place.

Regular Somerset speedway fans may want to take a slightly different vantage point from their usual slot because the 1,000cc sidecars race the track clockwise, compared to 500cc speedway’s anti-clockwise direction.

Something else to bear in mind is the earlier start time - the action gets underway at 7pm, with gates opening at 6pm.

Admission is keenly priced at just £10 for adults, while under-16s can get in for free.

The Rebels are in action this weekend - they travel to Leicester on Saturday looking to continue on from where they left off in the victory over Belle Vue.