The weekend of Saturday August 25th and Sunday August 26th bring the Avon Tyres / Wynn Developments British Hill Climb Championship and the Avon Tyres / Wynn Developments Hill Climb Leaders Championship back to Gurston Down Speed Hill Climb.

Both championships are just a few events away from the season finale at Loton Park at the end of September so there is still all to play for!

With 150 cars and drivers competing at the twisty course at Wiltshire’s famous Speed Hill Climb Venue, it will be a spectacular weekend. There will be a huge variety of cars, everything from standard road cars, specially prepared hill climb cars and spectacularly fast sport and single seat racing cars.

Spectators have fabulous unrivalled access to the hill, views of the course, paddock and facilities. We have excellent catering and refreshments on site too.

You really can’t get closer to the action!

Saturday is practice day. Each competitor gets three opportunities to take to the hill. We start around 09:00 with two runs each before lunch. Then a restart around 13:00 for one further practice. Practice day usually finishes around 15:00.

Sunday is competition day, this is when the fun starts. There will be an early morning practice, starting around 09:00. First timed runs start around 10:30 followed by the first of two top twelve run-offs. After lunch the second timed runs are followed by the second top twelve run-off.

The Top Twelve Run-Off of the Avon Tyres / Wynn Developments British Hill Climb Championship give championship registered another run on the hill. This time the fastest ten score points for the British Championship. Ten points for a win, down to one for tenth. These run-offs ultimately determine who becomes the British Champion!

The Avon Tyres / Wynn Developments Hill Climb Leaders Championship is slightly different and doesn’t have a run-off. Each timed run is treated as a separate event, so competitors will score in two rounds on Sunday.

Alongside the British Championship and Leaders Championships we will have the Porsche Club National Hill Climb Championship, SBD HSA Speed Championship and a special class for BARC South West Members too.

As ever there will be a Fastest Time of Day! Who will it be?

Class Preview:

The Porsche Club’s National Hill Climb Championship Class 2 – Standard Production Cars

This class has an all 911 GT3 line-up with Christian Aryes running a GT3RS. Last years champion Robert Lancaster-Gaye won’t have an easy ride with this field. He has last years championship runner-up to contend with, Simon Tarling. But Robert has also been battling with Christian too this season. It’ll be a very close run class. Winner? Well we can say it will be a GT3 but who will be behind the wheel?

The Porsche Club’s National Hill Climb Championship Class 1 – Modified Cars

Class 1 has a 964 in addition to the six other drivers with 911s. Phil Price and his 930RS has had some great Gurston form this year with a 33.99s timed run at our July meeting. Bob Mortimer in his 911 and Peter Turnbull’s 911 are likely to be in the top three too. As well as the in form man and last years champion, Paul Howells.

The Road Going Series Production Car Class up to 2000cc – A(i)

The class has a good entry with nine drivers and seven cars. This class looked like it might be between two drivers, Richard Brant in the very quick Renault Clio and Dean Cubitt in the Mazda MX5. But the event regulations means that we will see Tony Wiltshire in the Lotus Elise in this class too. It will be between these three for the win.

The Over 2000cc Road Going Series Production Car Class – A(ii)

There are just two entrants in this class, both of which have significant Gurston experience. Simon Neve in his Mitsubishi Evo RS, goes head to head with Mike Rudge in a Ford Focus RS. It will be interesting to see how Mike copes with a road car on the hill.

The Road Going Specialist Production Car Class – B

Adrian Lewis shares his Westfield Superbusa with Anthony Orchard again. The July meeting saw Adrian take the win in this class but we should expect Anthony to be quicker this time out but will it be enough to snatch a win?

The up to 1400cc Modified Series Production Car Class – C(i)

Neil Turner’s super fast Mini has been repaired after the problems at the July meeting so he will be the man to beat. Andrew Russell’s delightful Ginetta is always competitive but second might be the best outcome with Neil back in the race!

The 1401cc to 2000cc Modified Series Production Car Class – C(ii)

Two drivers, Colin Satchell and Paul Drowne share the very quick Peugeot 205. This might well turn into a really close class.

The Over 2000cc Modified Series Production Car Class – C(iii)

This will be a tough class, not only does it have a huge entry, twelve drivers but it has some really quick cars too. On previous form and Gurston experience, we should see Stephen Moore in his Mitsubishi Evo and Steven Darley in his Subaru Impreza in the top two places. But there are plenty of other cars that might just topple them on the day.

The Modified Specialist Production Cars Class – D

Andrew Griffiths in his Caterham Hayabusa and Simon Jenks and his Caterham Supersport were the top two at the May meeting. It was close and it will be in August too. Although this class is really competitive it could be any of the drivers taking the win.

The up to 2000cc Sports Libre Car Class – F

Keith Diggle in the WEV HCS-BDG won the class in May by a good margin over Duncan Barnes and his Norma M20FC. But that was the first time out for the Norma. Look out for Peter Steel and the Mallock has been on sparkling form so he’ll probably be mounting a challenge too.

The 601cc to 1100cc Racing Car Class – I

This class has another huge entry, 20 drivers. Debbie Dunbar in the DJ Firehawk she shares with Richard Summers, won this very competitive class after a fantastic second timed run in May. Based on the form she is showing, she will be very much in contention. But she won’t have an easy time with all the rest of the drivers in this class. Look out for the Greenen brothers, Andy and Adam or perhaps Darren Gumbley or Robert Kenrick to name just a few. The class will be settled by hundredths of a second and there might be some who will make the cut for the Top Twelve Run-Off too!

Formula Ford Racing Cars up to 1600cc Class – J(i)

There are five entries in the class. Simon McBeath and his Swift SC92F starts this class as favourite. He will be looking to take his class record back and for a class win. But the other four drivers will also want rhe championship points and the class win. The class is always close and we should expect it to be the same this time out.

The 1100cc to 1600cc Racing Car Class – J(ii)

Les Mutch in his GWR Raptor starts as favourite in this class after his win in May. But he has David and Allan Warburton in a Gould GR59, Lian and Olivia Cooper in the Force and another group of drivers who will be looking for points and run-off places.

The 1601cc to 2000cc Racing Car Class – Normally Aspirated – K(i)

The GWR Pediaor driven by Johnathen Varley.has to start favourite in this class. He produced a great second timed run in May that gave him victory. There are nine drivers entered so it’s going to tough for Johnathen particularly as Tim Elmer and his Dallara who was just 0.09s behind Johnathen in May.

The 1601cc to 2000cc Racing Car Class – Forced Induction – K(ii)

This class has another good entry including Richard Spedding who was third in the British Hill Climb Championship last year in his GWR Raptor. He will have a tough battle against Paul Haines in the Gould GR59 and Lee Griiffiths with the OMS. All of them will be looking for Run-Off places in addition to class wins.

The Over 2000cc Racing Car Class – L

The class brings the fastest cars and drivers to the hill. The class is most likely to produce the driver / car combination that will take Fastest Time of the Day. The British Championship has just a few rounds to go and is very much in progress and undecided (as at the time of writing).

Will Hall took Fastest Time of the Day in May and both Top Twelve Run-Off wins, one jointly with Trevor Willis. You will also need to look out for Jason Mourant in the Gould GR55, Wallace Menzies and his Gould GR59M, Dave Uren and Nicola Menzies in their GR55, They will all be looking to qualify for Top Twelve Run Off places too.

The Sports and Racing Car Built up to 1971 Class – M

This class is full of beautiful classic racing and sports cars, Geoff Hunt’s Lotus 22, the Chevron B19 of Amanda and Richard George, Sue Hayes’ Palliser WDF3, Mike Broome and his Alexis Mk17 F3 and the Brabham BT35 of Christopher Bentley-Jones. The winner in this class will probably be Amanda or Richard but we are all winners watching these gorgeous cars compete.

The Sports and Racing Car Built up to 1985 Class – N

Roger Dean in his Lola T142 is the only entrant in this class.

The SBD HSA Speed Championship – Class A2 Saloons and Sports Cars

There is a small entry in this class, just three cars. Martin Ellis in his Escort should take the win here.

The SBD HSA Speed Championship – Class A2.1 Mazda MX5s

The Mazda MX5 class has a small entry, just two cars. The 1800cc of Ken Morris should over-come the 1600cc car of Stephen Dally.

The SBD HSA Speed Championship – Class C3 Modified Saloons and Sports Cars

There are just two entrants, a Lotus Espirt driven by Nicholas Olson and Subaru Impreza of Chris Berrisford. Chris is the likely winner here.

Copyright: Akina Media

The SBD HSA Speed Championship – Class D Modified Specialist Sports Cars

There are three entrants in two cars. Looking at this class the win is likely to go to the Caterham Superlight of Lynn Gilbert and Chris Howard-Harris.

The SBD HSA Speed Championship – Class J and J1 Racing Cars

With just one entrant, Mark Schlanker in his OMS.

The BARC SW B Licence Class

The BARC South West B Licence Class will run last. The class has a variety of cars and drivers who hold MSA Speed B Licences. On current form it’ll be between Martin Watson and his Westfield and Steve Holland in his Caterham. Martin will probably snatch the win but there will be plenty of drivers wanting to chase him down.

Another exciting weekend of at Gurston Down Speed Hill Climb – Don’t Miss It!

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 25th and Sunday 26th August
Times: Saturday Practice from 0830 until 1500 approx. Sunday 0830 Final Practice then timed runs from approx 1030, then first timed runs followed by First Top Twelve Run-Off, then lunch and final timed runs from 13:00 Second Top Twelve Run-Off.
Admission: £10 for adults Sunday (£6 on Saturday), accompanied under 14s free, free paddock entry, free parking.

 

Anthony Record – Press Officer Gurston Down Speed Hill Climb – BARC SW