The 50th Anniversary Weekend brings the riders of the Auto-Cycle Union’s National Hill Climb Association motorbike championship to the award winning, fast, narrow and twisty course at Gurtson Down Speed Hill Climb.
There are two meetings over the weekend, one on Saturday 17th and the other on Sunday 18th. Both events have more than 30 solo motorbikes and sidecars competing. Some of the fastest of the UK’s motorbike hill climb racers will be joining us. They will also have two of their amazing Top Ten Run-Offs!
The solo motorbikes are in classes just like the cars are. The classes are based on cc of the motorbike. The bikes competing at Gurston Down Speed Hill Climb on June 17th and 18th range in capacity from under 250cc and over 1100cc. And there are side cars with rider and pillion too!
As part of our 50th Anniversary Meeting, a rider who, and the motorbike he competed on at our first meeting in 1967. Peter Isaac bring his Velocette 500 to the hill and will take part in the event. We look forward to seeing Peter and the Velocette!
Full Preview of Classes:
On Saturday, the first class to go will be the 100cc to 250cc Solo Motor Cycles. Callum Short on his Honda 250cc won the class in April so he will start as favourite. He has some stiff competition. Darren Butler (Suzuki), Allan Harvey (Yamaha) and Quentin Woollacott (Suzuki) were second, third and forth respectively. All were with 1.5s of Callum’s winning 38.43s, so that’ll be an interesting battle.
However, on Sunday there is an additional entry, Steve Atkins and his Greeves 250cc. It will be interesting to see if this will upset Callum Short (Honda) and the rest of the class.
Saturday’s 351cc to 500cc Solo Motor Cycle Class goes next. There are eight riders in this class and it’s always close. The one, two, three in April was Chris Keates (Honda CRF), Mark Tilley (Honda CR) and Richard Bowker (Honda CRF). But you won’t be able to discount anyone else. Hill Climbing is all about the performance on the day.
Sunday sees a reduced entry, just five riders. But last April’s top three are still in the mix. These riders will treat every run as a completely separate event so they will not be thinking about Saturday’s winners.
The 501cc to 750cc Solo Motor Cycle Class on Saturday, brings some really fast motorbikes to the hill and some of the fastest riders too! Tommy Hodges (Team GV KTM), Peter Short (KTM) and Mark Short (Aprilia SVX) as well as Daniel Hurley (Husaberg) will be amongst the front runners. There are some great riders here but on April’s form Tommy should end up on top.
Sunday’s event brings Keith Haines and his Aprilia SVX to the class. He’ll be challenging Tommy, Peter, Mark and Daniel for spots in the Top Ten and a class victory.
Saturday’s Solo Motor Cycle 751cc to 1300cc Class comes next. There machines are fast, properly fast. At April’s meeting, Stuart Mills managed a 34.02s run. He’s not competing on Saturday so Alan Jolly and Paul Jeffery will have just four additional riders to compete against. These are the bikes that will probably give us the motorbike Fastest Time of the Day. But you should never discount anyone.
The entry on Sunday includes Stuart Mills, April’s Fastest Time of the Day and Top Ten Run-Off winner. Will Stuart be able to repeat April’s fine performance?
Then come they amazing sight of the Side Car. Saturday and Sunday’s Side Car Class has four combinations with a rider and pillion in each. Patrick and Paul Keates with the Baker are the current class record holders and won the event in April. They must start as favourites but at April’s meeting they were only 0.19s ahead of the Guy and Pilmoor-Brady, LCR Suzuki combination. Ian has a different pillion in the shape of Steve English for the June event. Which of these two will have the edge?
Both days will have a Top Ten Run-Off after the class runs. The fastest ten go head to head. This usually produces some fabulous riding.
Why not join us for either or both days? We have the motorbikes and cars competing, making the weekend a fantastic weekend’s motorsport at the South’s premiere Hill Climb Course!
Key info
Location: 1 mile west of Broad Chalke, 9 miles SW of Salisbury, Wiltshire. Turn off the A354 at Coombe Bissett on the unclassified road to Broad Chalke, follow AA signs.
Dates: Saturday June 17th and Sunday June 18th
Times: Competition from approx. 1300, practice from 0830 both days.
Admission: Only £10 for adults each day, accompanied under 14s free, free paddock entry, free parking.
Anthony Record – Press Officer – BARC SW, Gurston Down Speed Hill Climb