After a fantastic season in 2016, the Lochgelly Raceway opens its doors again in less than a fortnight with the curtain-raiser to the new racing campaign.

While it will be a time to celebrate, there will also be a poignant mood at the track as the stock car community is set to gather in numbers to celebrate the life of Joan Purdie, who passed away last year after a long battle with cancer.

The Joan Purdie Memorial Event will take place on Sunday February 26 at 1pm and will see four great formulas in action.

Funds collected on the day will be donated to St Andrews Hospice, where Joan spent a great deal of her final days and weeks.

The National Micro Bangers headline the event and already have more than 40 cars booked in, including some star names from three of Scotland’s biggest banger teams such as Team Coalpower, The Jocks and The Mob.

They will be joined by some drivers more commonly found in other formulas such as former Saloon Stock Car World Champion Stuart Shevill Jr and current European and British champion in BriSCA F2 Stock cars, Chris Burgoyne.

There will also be two raffle winners on track as news touched the entire Stock Car family that former-ProStocks racer Scott Ramsay has been diagnosed with bone marrow cancer.

Scott and his family are very popular within the stock car community and their situation brings home the effects that illness can have on a young family – we all wish Scott well in his biggest battle.

The National Micro bangers are not the only formula in action as, for only the second time in history, the National Hot Rods, Classic Hot Rods and 2.0 Hot Rods will be racing on the same track at the same time!

Last year’s event saw some great racing and, with the 2017 Scottish series for Classic Hot Rods now seeing regular action for the formula north of the border, it promises to be a great day.

The Sunday event will also see hot rod legend Kenny Ireland return to the tracks at the wheel of the newly-purchased Kenny Purdie MK2 Escort Classic Hot Rod.

The action was great last year and more of the same is expected at Lochgelly on February 26.

The Ministox were undoubtedly the formula of the year in Scotland in 2016 as they produced some incredible action wherever they raced last season.

With a number of drivers graduating from the formula it is a chance for more young drivers to stake their claim at the top of the tree and another good grid of cars is expected at the venue for the 2017 British Championship.

Keep an eye on the likes of Steven Burgoyne, Danny Whyte, current National Points champion Sean Naismith and former Silver Roof Michael Mitchell, as well the returning Ben Creanor, as the Ministox look to kick off the new season as they finished 2016.

The final formula on show will be the 1300 Stock Cars.

While numbers did take a downward turn in 2016, the action remained of the highest level and it would appear that the formula is on the verge of a resurgence as a number of drivers make their debuts or returns to the bumper brigade.

It is a big year for the formula in Scotland with the 1300 Stock Car World Championship being held here at HRP Lochgelly Raceway in September and the drivers will be determined to put down an early marker for the big event.

Expect the Mathieson brothers from Lochgelly, Ryan McGill, Craig Haxton and Jock Whyte to be at the sharp end as the season begins.

A fantastic event in memory of a fantastic lady, the Joan Purdie Memorial Event (in aid of St Andrews Hospice) is an event not to be missed as drivers, teams, staff and fans join together to battle a disease that touches so many lives.

If you can, be there on Sunday February 26 at the Lochgelly Raceway to show your support.

The memorial event is set to kick off a fantastic season of stock car, hot rod and banger action at the track, something tat's sure to delight every racing fan.