New Warrnambool president Billy Askew said that the series opener, which will be held both Saturday and Sunday at Lake Gillear, was the club’s largest meeting of the year.

“We usually get between 150 and 200 drivers,” he said.

“We have people come from all over the state and from interstate from places like Mount Gambier.”

Askew said that the leopard pro and rotax pro classes would be combined to form the sportsman 125.

“They have the same engine, so we’ve joined them together,” he said.

Other categories which will be contested are senior national pro, junior national light, junior national heavy, rookies, midgets, restricted 125, junior clubman, clubman super heavy, clubman over 40s, clubman light and clubman heavy.

Askew, who will compete in the restricted 125 and clubman super heavy, nominated Corey McCullagh (sportsman 125) and Jay Coul (midgets) as two of the leading local hopes.

He said some drivers took the opportunity to have a practice at the Lake Gillear track last weekend at a club day, which Warrnambool hosts on the last Sunday of each month.

There are six rounds in the 2012 Victorian Country Series, with the others to be held at Portland (April 22), Wimmera (May 20), Hamilton (September 23), Ballarat (October 21) and Cobden (November 18).

Action at Lake Gillear on Saturday starts at lunchtime while action on Sunday is from 9am.