RAMSDEN Bellhouse racing driver Bradley Smith takes to the track this weekend in what will be the start of a big year for Mectech Motorsport.

The 21-year-old is competing in the Radical UK Cup which starts this weekend at the Snetterton 300 circuit in Norfolk.

And while Bradley will be looking for a podium finish, the Doddinghurst-based team will be hoping for a good start to the season as they prepare to step up in competition.

Bradley and his dad Mike are building up Mectech this season and aim to run two Radicals next season.

They already have a driver in place for 2013 in the shape of Billericay’s Lewis Plato, who will concentrate on Super One karts this year before graduating to sports cars next year, and there will be a hatful of other Essex youngsters racing for Mectech’s kart team this season.

“The plan is that we will grow the team and for Bradley to progress up the sports car ladder,” said Mike.

“Radical is the best route, in our experience, in sports cars because they are very keen to promote the younger side of the series.

“They also look after you at a meeting, which is great for young drivers.

“And from the team’s point of view commercially, there are opportunities to build a successful little business with the interest in sports cars.”

The Radical cars are similar to Le Mans Prototypes. Bradley races a 2011 SR3 version which features a 1340cc four cylinder engine capable of 155mph and 0-60mph in 3.1 seconds.

He stepped up to the car, which was the 1000th build by Radical, last season after starting out with a 2004 model.

The car’s age meant Bradley could only expect to finish in the middle of the 32-car strong grids, but that changed with the newer car where he qualifed fifth in his class and seventh on the grid in its first race.

A link up with road and race seat manufacturer Corbeau has helped Bradley prepare for the new season by using the car simulators at Hertford University and Darren Turner’s set-up at Silverstone.

Bradley said the simulaters had been very beneficial and he had already reproduced the lap times he was acheiving on track in the car.

And that winter work looks to be paying dividends as the team tested at Snetterton last Thursday and all went well.

They are heading back to Norfolk tomorrow for practice ahead of the first round of the championship on Saturday and Sunday.