The weekend of Saturday May 25th and Sunday May 26th is the first of the two visits by the Avon Tyres / Wynn Developments British Hill Climb Championship and the Avon Tyres / Wynn Developments Hill Climb Leaders Championship to Gurston Down Speed Hill Climb.
The Championship brings many of Britain’s fastest cars and drivers to the twisty course at Wiltshire’s famous Speed Hill Climb Venue. There will be over 140 cars and drivers competing in everything from standard road cars, specially prepared hill climb cars and spectacularly fast 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 the opportunity to take three practice runs, starting around 09:00. There are two runs in the morning and one after lunch. Practice usually finishing around 15:00.
Sunday is competition day, there will be an early morning practice, starting around 08:30 followed by one timed run before lunch and the first of two top twelve run-offs. Then after lunch the second timed runs are followed by the second top twelve run-off.
The Top Twelve Run-Off allows the fastest twelve, championship registered, competitors to take an additional run, after which 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!
Alongside the British Championship and Leaders Championships, the Lotus 7 Club and the Porsche Club have rounds of their championships and the BARC South West Members have their own class.
There will be a fastest time of the day and As ever there will be a Fastest Time of Day! Who will it be?
Class Preview in Detail:
The BARC South West B Licence Class
The class will be first to the hill. The class is specifically for those driver who hold an MS UK B Speed licence. There are a number of new comers to this class and the hill. Daniel and Andy Reeve bring their Aston Martin N24 and Campbell Adams and Roland Hanbury bring their OMS 2000M. Martin Watson and his Westfield, Sarah Fudge in the Lewis Dean Impreza and Dean Cubitt’s and his Mazda MX5 probably start as favourites for the top three places because of their experience on the hill. But with a real mix of cars and drivers in this class and the new car and driver combinations this class will be especially hard fort.
The Road Going Series Production Car Class up to 2000cc
There is a small entry in this class, just two cars. Tim Forster in his beautifully prepared Lotus Elan, Nick Revels, Gurston Down’s Competition Secretary, in John Davey’s New Midget and Tony Record, Gurston Down’s Press Officer, in the Proton Satria Gti he usually shares with Nick Revels. Tim will dominate this class!
Over 2000cc Road Going Series Production Car Class
Mike Rudge is the sole entrant in this class. He’ll bring back his Ford Focus RS. It will be interesting to see how he compares to last season when he first brought the car to the hill.
Thanks to Stuart Freeman for this great picture of Mike having an issue with Ashes….
The Road Going Specialist Production Car Class
John Davey, the Managing Director of our Top Ten Challenge Sponsor, Cavendish Ships Stores, bring his TVR Vixen to the hill for the first time this season. Adrian Lewis and his Westfield Superbusa should dominate this class, providing the car behaves!
Up to 1400cc Modified Series Production Car Class
Not only do we have the Gurston regulars, David Bean and James White in their Minis but we have two Hillman Imp powered cars. Eric Morrey in his turbo-charged Hillman Imp and the delightful Ginetta G15 of Andrew Russell. It will be probably be between James White and Andrew Russell.
1401cc to 2000cc Modified Series Production Car Class
There is just one entry in this class, Paul Meadows in his Renault Clio.
Over 2000cc Modified Series Production Car Class
There is a massive entry in this class. The current class record holder Stephen Moore in the Mitsubishi Evo RS has some stiff competition with Phil Price and his Porsche 911RS and the Aston Martin of Tim Painter and Andrew Fraser. There are a few new car and driver combinations that may mix this class up a little.
Modified Specialist Production Cars Class
Steve Holland and Simon Jenks in their respective Caterham’s go head to head in this class. It will be the performance on the day that will decide this class!
Up to 2000cc Sports Libre Car Class
There is an eclectic entry in this class. Derek Kessell brings his Maguire Mini, Duncan Barnes his Norma M20FC (he shares with Tom New), Pete Steel his Radical SR1, Tim Pitfield his DJ Firecat and Keith Diggle in the WEV. Keith starts favourite but his car didn’t make it to the April meetings so that might open this class right up.
Over 2000cc Sports Libre Car Class
The mad Mini Evo of a former Manx Grand Prix winner (on a bike, of course), Allan McDonald has Geoff Twemlow and the Saket GT as his only competition. Allan who, who holds the closed car hill record should take the win.
Up to 600cc Racing Car Class has just one entrant. Les Buck in his OMS Hornet.
601cc to 1100cc Racing Car Class
Another huge entry in this class, 20 drivers! Robert Kenrick in the GWR Raptor 2, Eynon Price in the Force TA, Andy and Adam Greenen in the Empire Evo, Harry Pick in the OMS 3000M along the DJ Firehawk of Debbie Dunbar and Felix Summers will be some of the names to watch for in this class. But this class and it’s places will be settled by hundredths of a second. And there’s a really great chance that some of these cars will qualify for the Top Twelve Run-off too!
1100cc to 1600cc Racing Car Class
There is a good entry in this class. David Warburton in the Gould GR59 probably starts favourite here and he is having a good season, 11th in the British Hill Climb Championship. He will be looking for a qualification place in the top twelve.
Formula Ford Racing Cars up to 1600cc Built Before 1994
Just three entries in the class but it is such a competitive class! Doug Auld in his Swift SC93 and Samantha Lester in her Van Diemen FR92 have Gurston experience which should be critical. Ed McDonough in his Dulon F-Ford MP15 will have his work cut out to catch Doug and Samantha. But who will take the win?
1601cc to 2000cc Racing Car Class – Normally Aspirated
There another big entry in this class. Look out for Tim Elmer and his Dallara F399, the GWR Predator of Johnathen Varley and Andy Bougourd in the Force PT. It will be a close class, Johnathen has been performing well in the Leaders Championship and will be looking for a points.
1601cc to 2000cc Racing Car Class – Forced Induction
Richard Spedding was fifth in the British Hill Climb Championship last year in this GWR Raptor and is currently third. He’ll probably take the class and a place in the Top Twelve Run-off too but you just can’t discount Kelvin Broad in the Force TA and Simon Moyse in another Gould GR59. They will all be looking for championship and leaders points!
Over 2000cc Racing Car Class
This class brings the fastest cars to the hill. Wallace Menzies in his Gould GR59 is the current leader of the British Championship and holds the fastest finish line speed of in excess of 159 mph. He will be chasing run-off places and championship points as will all of the others in this class. Look out for the Scott Moran (Gould GR61x) the current hill record holder, Will Hall in the Force WH-Xtec, Alex Summers in the DJ Firestorm, the Gould GR55 of Nicola Menzies and Dave Uren, Sean Gould in the factory Gould GR59 and Jason Mourant is his Gould GR55.
Sports Racing and Racing Cars Built up to 1971
There are three drivers and two lovely cars in this class. The Brabham BT35 of Christopher Bentley Jones and the Chevron B19 shared by Amanda and Richard George. The Chevron will probably take this class.
Sports Racing and Racing Cars Built up to 1985
Roger Deans in the Lola T142 runs in this class on his own. The 5 litre car makes a wonderful sound!
The Porsche Club’s National Hill Climb Championship Class 2
An all 911 line up in this class compete in this class. The road going class is always very competitive. Robert Lancaster-Gaye should be a contender for the win after visiting Gurston’s Driver School at the beginning of May. But David Dyson, Simon Tarling as well as Richard York and Ross Mcdonald will also be ready and willing to take the win.
The Porsche Club’s National Hill Climb Championship Class 1
This class is another all 911 line-up. Peter Turnbull and Paul Howells start favourites but, just like the road going class, everyone will be happy to take the win.
Then it’s the turn of the Lotus 7 Club Championship runners. With the Lotus 7 Club Championship in it’s early stages, it will be tough to predict any of these classes. It will be down to performance on the day.
The Lotus 7 Club Championship Class 1 – Cars Up to 125 bhp – has just two entries. Paul Boston has previous form at Gurston Down so Rebecca Boston will need to make him work for the win.
The Lotus 7 Club Championship Class 2 – Cars up to 150 bhp – List 1A Tyres – There is a huge entry in this class and as usual it will be difficult to predict who will come out on top.
The Lotus 7 Club Championship Class 3 – Cars up to 150 bhp – List 1B Tyres – has nine entrants. This class was decided by just a few hundredths of a second last year. Robert Jacobs has Gurston experience so he should be in with a good chance of repeating his win.
The Lotus 7 Club Championship – Class 4 – Car up to 210 bhp – has just four entrants. It’s difficult to gauge who might be at the front in the end. However, Bruce Bosley has Gurston experience which may play in his favour.
The Lotus 7 Club Championship – Class 5 – there are just three entries.
The Lotus 7 Club Championship – Class 6/7 – sees seven cars and drivers entered. Simon Rogers won in 2017 so he’s probably in with a shout.
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 May 25th and Sunday May 26th
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