The Gurston Down Hillclimb   -  an Introduction

Background Gurston Information

Our Driving School

Welcome to Gurston Down

The South Western Centre of the British Automobile Racing Club extends a very warm welcome as you explore our Web site.   2008 will be the 42nd year in which the Club has been staging speed hill climbs at Gurston, now regarded as one of the best venues in England, and we held our 200th Meeting in August of 2001.   That we have been able to maintain this continuity down the years is due to the wholehearted support and co-operation of the Gurston Down farm owners, the J Hitchings Partnership, to whom we are deeply indebted.

The challenge of Speed Hill Climbing is simply about driving the course in the shortest possible time.   The entry is divided into categories and classes, so that similar cars may compete against each other.

Each driver not only enjoys his or her own race against the clock, but also against other drivers in cars of similar performance.   The ultimate achievement at each event is to establish the "Best Time of the Day", usually accomplished by one of the high powered single seater racing cars.

Timing is done to the nearest one-hundredth of a second, a tiny amount, but one which can decide a class win.

The Course

Diagram of Gurston Down
This Venue Plan is Copyright © 1995-2000 British Motor Racing Circuits.

Prior to the Start there is a short length of tarmac where the drivers may spin the driven wheels in order to clean the soft compound racing tyres, and "put some heat" into them to improve their grip.   The Start is crucial to a good time, drivers striving to get just the right amount of wheelspin to get a good "launch", and then they take the downhill plunge, accelerating up through the gears.   They pass through the first "speed trap" at the bottom of the hill, where the fastest cars reach over 130 mph, and then the deceptively difficult Hollow Bend looms rapidly.

The approach to Hollow Bend. The track runs round to the left
towards the fearsome Karousel. The gaps in the rape crop
on the left have resulted from previous drivers "going off."
_{©Copyright; Simon McBeath /maximage.co.uk}

Next comes the critical approach to the Karousel, which requires late braking on the ideal line to be well placed for the second part of Gurston's slowest section, a very steep, sharp right hander.   This leads immediately to Deer's Leap, where the most powerful cars are often airborne whilst approaching the braking point for Ashes Bend!

Karousel Hairpin, the slowest part of the track
_{©Copyright; Simon McBeath / maximage.co.uk}

This left-hander is a prime viewing point where you can see the drivers trying to prevent their cars running wide on the corner exit whilst attempting to get a good slingshot for the long drag over Burke's Rise to the Finish.   This is the sting in Gurston's tail, with a deceptive kink over the last few flat-out yards to keep the drivers alert until the end!

2007 Gurston Champion Mike Rudge hustles his Westfield around Ashes
_{©Copyright; Simon McBeath / maximage.co.uk}

The Events

The MSA British Hill Climb Championship, the sport's most prestigious competition, visits Gurston in May and August.

The events in April, June, July and September feature rounds of our own Gurston Down Championship and the BARC (SW) Top Ten Challenge.

The SBD / BARC Speed Championship also visits in April, the Association of South Western Motor Clubs (ASWMC) holds a round of its Hill Climb Championship in June, and the A.C.S.M.C. pays us a visit in July.

The "one-day" events commence with two practice runs for every driver in the morning, followed by two "timed-runs" in the afternoon, the fastest of which counts towards class positions.

The "two-day" events in May and August are rounds of the British Championship, with three practice runs on Saturday, and a further one on Sunday morning.   Then every driver does one timed run, which counts towards class positions.   This is followed by the first British Championship Top-12-Run-Off, in which the fastest twelve registered competitors from the first class runs take a single extra run each.   The fastest ten cars score points, from 10 points for the fastest car down to 1point for the tenth fastest car.   Then every driver does a second timed run to settle the class positions, the faster time only counting, after which comes the second Top-12-Run-Off, based on the positions of the fastest twelve contenders in the second class runs.   Points are awarded again, as in the first Run-Off.

The Cars

Hillclimb cars come in three categories, split into smaller groups according to the rules of championship at a particular meeting, and then into classes according to engine capacity.   The main categories are for production cars, sports racing cars and single-seater racing cars.   The programme usually opens with production cars, which, depending on the meeting, may range from more or less standard to heavily modified.   Saloon cars run in different classes to sports cars.

The sports racing category encompasses the Hillclimb Supersports class and the Sports Libre classes.   These sports racing machines are nominally two-seater purpose built racing cars with highly modified engines, aerodynamic wings and so forth.

The single-seater racing cars come in all shapes and sizes, starting with the historic 500cc cars run to the 500 Owners Association rules.   The modern equivalents, the 600cc racing cars, are powered by two or four-stroke motorcycle engines, and use a high power to weight ratio to produce remarkable performance.   The 1100cc class is also dominated by bike-engined cars, and there are some highly sophisticated machines competing in this class nowadays.   Even the 1600cc racing car class is becoming populated by cars propelled by enlarged bike engines.   The 2000cc racing car class is still the domain of the automotive-based engine, and consequently these cars are bigger and heavier, although more powerful than the bike-engined cars.

The pinnacle of four-wheeled hillclimb machinery is the unlimited capacity single-seater class. Many of these cars are propelled by ex-Formula 1 V8 engines, some enlarged to 4-litre capacity to generate more power and torque.   Huge, soft "slick" tyres develop tremendous grip, and large aerodynamic wings and cleverly shaped bodywork generate downforce to help create even more grip.  Every bit helps when you've got nearly 600 horsepower, you're doing maybe 140mph and the road is only twelve feet wide!

Multiple British Hillclimb Champion David Grace goes flying at Deer Leap, August 1999
_{©Copyright; Simon McBeath / maximage.co.uk}

And at our May and July meetings, there are also the motorcycles from the National Hillclimb Association.   Classes are again split by capacity, and as well as the two-wheel machines, there are the three-wheel trikes and sidecar outfits.

Whatever type of machinery interests you, you'll probably find it at a meeting at Gurston Down!  Our visitors can come and see all these superb cars in the Paddock at any time during the day, though if you don't want to miss the action on the hill, come on down in the lunch break.

Enjoy your day with us!.

Set in beautiful Wiltshire downland, Gurston Down provides a spectacular venue to watch motorsport, with cars topping 140mph in some cases on the narrow twisty track. ©Copyright Simon McBeath / maximage.co.uk

Hillclimbing at Gurston Down involves cars running singly against the clock from a standing start over the measured distance of 967 metres (1057 yards).

The course rises 43 metres (140 feet) from start to finish, although uniquely in this country the first section after the start is downhill.   The course is tarmac, about 12 feet wide and comprises fast and slow bends.

Timing is done electronically to one hundredth of a second (triggered by cars breaking beams of light at the start and the finish).   Speed traps measure speeds at the fastest parts of the hill.   A tight section of bends brings the cars down to around 25 mph before the uphill blast to the twisty finish line, where the fastest recorded speed is 150 mph!  Full commentary is provided during the competition runs.

Location
1 mile west of the village of Broadchalke, approx 9 miles south west of Salisbury.   The venue is at Gurston Farm, with the competition car paddocks in various parts of the farm yard.   The Speed Hillclimb course is tucked away in a valley in Wiltshire“s picturesque chalk downland.   (See our Calendar page for additional details including a Map.)

Gurston Down is easy to get to, and access to the paddock and the course, at close but safe proximity, is excellent, with level or gently sloping routes to some viewing points (although some spectator areas are reached via steeper pathways on grass).    The facilities provided for spectators are excellent, and include a modern Restuarant which serves hot and cold food from 0730 hours to 1600 hours (1900 hours on Saturdays), and a bar from around 1200 noon.

Programmes are available, commentary will be provided, digital speed and time displays will be installed - all designed to inform and enhance your day in wonderful countryside.

The cars
There are classes for every type of competition car from Minis to Formula 1 powered racing cars, and including modified production cars, sports racing cars and single seaters in various engine capacity classes.   Some meetings have classes for invited clubs who bring cars like Ferraris, Porsches, Ginettas, Austin Healeys and Austin 7s.   In fact, there is something for just about every car enthusiast.

The aim
Speed Hillclimbing is about driving a car from a standing start to a flying finish, along an uphill course against the clock.   The fastest driver in any class is the winner, and the fastest driver overall at a meeting receives the Fastest Time of the Day (FTD) award.

General :-

The 2008 admission price is £10.00 for an adult (aged 14 or over); Accompanied children aged 13 and under are admitted free.

Car parking is free.

Campers, Caravans and Motorhomes can all be accommodated, subject to the payment of a small fee to the organisers (free to Marshals).

Modern permanent toilets and showers are available, and also a disabled access toilet adjacent to the Restuarant.

The Gurston Down Restaurant and Bar - a wonderful facility,
which is open all day, providing meals, refreshments, drinks,
wonderful views and a congenial atmosphere!
_{©Copyright; Simon McBeath / maximage.co.uk}

It's narrow.   It's twisty.   And it's fast!   In a nutshell, that's the sport of speed hillclimbing, one of motorsport's most accessible and friendly categories.   With the British Hillclimb Championship coming to Gurston Down over two Bank Holiday weekends in May and August, there's great opportunity to see how the best drivers in the country tackle the course at speeds up to 145mph.

But you can actually start hillclimbing in a road car, and there are generally three opportunities each year to start in the best possible way - with a day at the Gurston Down Hillclimb Drivers School.   The dates for 2008 (all on Tuesdays) are 13th May, 03rd June and 15th July.   

Hillclimbing is all about driving up narrow windy roads, with timing at competition events done electronically, and there are classes for all types of cars.   But because the roads are private, and closed to traffic of course, the environment is a safe one in which to drive as fast as you feel you can.

To make your entry into this fun branch of motorsport as easy as possible, at the Gurston Down Hillclimb Drivers School you receive classroom tuition on safety and how to drive the course from experienced, licensed instructors before you take to the hill in your car.   And your every-day road-car is ideal for the job, providing it is roadworthy and has a current MoT certificate if appropriate. It's a great day out, and an adenalin-induced grin is guaranteed!  All pupils need to have a minimum age of 18 years, and either hold a full driving licence (not a provisional) or hold an MSA competition licence.

Interested?   Then call the School Principal, Andrew Hext, on 01264 882215 (W) or 07971 989517(M) for further details, or click here to visit our School web page.

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