Another young star certain to enjoy home support is KTM UK's Shaun Simpson. Simpson collected his first GP podium at Sevlievo earlier this year and holds a strong sixth in the standings, just eleven points ahead of countryman Stephen Sword. Sword has suffered bad luck in the last two events but is sure to come out fighting for the home fans.

Supporting the MX1 and MX2 is the FIM Veterans' World Cup - where motocross legends return to battle. Last year saw Britain's multiple world champion Dave Thorpe take victory at Donington Park and Thorpe will be the pre-event favourite this weekend as he seeks to bounce back from ninth overall in appalling conditions at Bellpuig.

The man-made Mallory circuit features medium-soft soil, enriched with sand. The circuit runs anticlockwise and its spectacular layout has many elevation changes, making it quite technical and demanding... especially if it's wet.