Tim Stevens is the man under pressure when the third and penultimate round of the Gates of Brockenhurst Gurston Down Hillclimb Championship takes place on July 20.

The Wimborne driver, aboard his very rapid 1.8 litre Lotus Exige, seems to reset the two-litre modified production marque sports car class record on practically every outing.

He has a fairly commanding lead over the 1.8 Lotus Elise of Abingdon's Steve Butts, but Butts also got under the previous class record mark in June so it looks like fireworks between the two!

The modprod saloons up-to-1400cc class, populated entirely by Minis, was incredibly tight in June, with just two hundredths of a second separating first and second. Among the front-runners is Totton's Peter Arscott, although he was overshadowed by Steve Harris (Cranborne) and Yeovil's Derek Mullis last time out.

Alresford's Andy Russell starts favourite in his 1.1 Ginetta G15 in the 1400cc modprod sports car class while championship sponsor Jonathan Gates is high up in the two-litre sports car category which has become the war of the Westfields featuring Poole's Andy Forsyth.

The over-two-litre modprod classes see the tussle of the turbos in the saloon division with a pair of Audis taking on the Renault of New Milton's Richard Hillyar.

In the sports car division, last year's Gurston champion Rod Thorne from Frampton shares his awesome five-litre Westfield with Gurston Hilclimb School instructor Simon McBeath.

Fareham's Paul Webster will be gunning for another sub-32 second personal best in his Pulsar in the up-to-two-litre sports libre class. The amazing twin-engined Force SR8 of Chris Cannell and Sue Hayes from Salisbury gets quicker by the meeting and should star in the unlimited capacity sports libre class.

Among the single-seater cars, Rob Barksfield from Corfe Mullen went under 30 seconds at Gurston for the first time in June and will be looking for a repeat performance in his superb 1.1 Suzuki-powered PCD Saxon in the up-to-1100cc racing car class.

New Milton's Ian Chard put on an incredible show in his 1.6 DJ Firehawk at June's double-header meeting, setting Best Time of the Day in Saturday's event and only being shaded out by three hundredths from doing the double.

In the unlimited capacity racing car class Nik Gregory (4.0 Pilbeam) set BTD in June's Sunday meeting and currently leads the BARC (SW) Top 10 Challenge in which the ten fastest registered competitors on the day score points - and a good result could seal this championship title for the Stockbridge driver, but his father, Mike, could challenge for BTD.

The event will open with special invitation classes for TR cars and Ferrari cars and will round off with a bevy of motorbikes.

Gurston Down is nine miles south-west of Salisbury. Turn off the A354 at Coombe Bissett on the unclassified road to Broad Chalke and follow RAC signs.