Greenwood Cup and Mike Wilson Hillclimb.

JCB Photography was at Harewood Hill over the weekend of 21st and 22nd September 2024 for the Greenwood Cup and Mike Wilson Hillclimb which were rounds seven and eight. This was the final weekend of the 2024 Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship season.

Greenwood Cup Hillclimb

Also joining in on the action on the Saturday were a number of competitors from the Pre War Austin Seven Club. Along with competitors from the TR Register and MG Car Club, who were on track both days.

Saturday’s weather turned out to be the better of the two days even though it was overcast. The sun did come out just after the lunch-break with a light breeze.

A number of competitors set new class records:

Class 19 B for Pre war Austin 7 Club track cars. Stuart Blackham driving the Austin 7 Pigsty Special.

Class 1A Road cars up to and including 1400cc. Adam Riley driving the VW UP.

Class 2A Road cars Specialist Production Kit cars. Henry Moorhouse driving the Honda powered Westfield.

Fastest Time of the Day was set by Morgan Jenkins driving the Pilbeam MP97 with Mark Hemingway driving a Force TA taking second and Jake Bellerby driving his OMS 2000M setting the third fastest time.

Full Results from the Greenwood Cup Hillclimb can be found here:

https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_7bbf20d4a0f749c3a2f0956a3f369923.pdf

Mike Wilson Hillclimb

One class record was broken, Class 1 A, Road Cars Series Production up to and including 1400cc. The Class record had only stood for less than twenty four hours and was again set by Adam Riley in the VW UP. He managed to shave another tenth of a second off the record.

Harewood Hillclimb Championship.

Adam Riley yet again retains the Harewood Hillclimb Championship crown after leading from the first event of the season and also setting several new class records for Class 1A, Road Cars series Production up to and including 1400cc in the front wheel drive VW UP. Adam first broke the class record in only his second meeting in the new car at Harewood. This was the Jim Thomson Hillclimb, in June. He then broke his own record in the Rescheduled Spring Championship event in August and on both meetings this weekend.

Adam is now a quadruple Harewood Champion, having won the Championship in 2023 driving Karl Jackson’s rear wheel drive Honda S2000 and in 2022 and 2021 driving his own Honda S2000. Simon Green driving his Westfield Duratec finished in second place and Henry Moorhouse driving the Honda powered Westfield in third place.

Henry Moorhouse and Simon Green have both been pushing Adam since the first meeting of the season back in May and have set their own Class records throughout the season.

Fast Time of the Day Award Series (FTD Award Series)

David Tatham has lead the series since the Yorkshire Speed Hillclimb meeting at the beginning of August. He had been driving his DJ Firehawk but due to engine issues he has had to swap to the McLaren M12C. He won the Montague Burton Hillclimb but since the Rescheduled Spring Championship meeting he has been driving the McLaren.

However after dropped points are taken into account, Jake Bellerby wins the Harewood FTD Award Series driving his OMS 2000M, from Simon Green driving his Westfield Duratec, and David Tatham driving the McLaren M12C falls down to third place.

Fastest Time of the Day was set by Mark Hemingway driving a Force TA.

Full Results from the Mike Wilson Hillclimb can be found here:

https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_d4adfca33d1f485b968b9aac715f873b.pdf

Final Harewood Championship Standings 2024 Results:

https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_912af9d43b0149b58cc184f9808418bd.pdf

Final Harewood FTD Award Series 2024 Results:

https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_64aee11bfdff4efabae251e61aa4e8a7.pdf

Many thanks to BARC Yorkshire centre for the opportunity to be track side in 2024. Also not forgetting all the Marshals, Medical and the Extractor Rescue team, along with all the back office staff without which the events at Harewood Hill could not take place.

The 2025 season will kick off with Practice Day in March.

Full Harewood Hill events 2025.

Key. Dates in Blue are Non Harewood Championship events.

13th April. Spring Championship

10th May. Harewood Open

11th May. May British Hillclimb Championship

7th June. Classic & Vintage

8th June. Jim Thomson

5th-6th July. July British Hillclimb Championship

2nd August. Yorkshire speed

3rd August. Montague Burton

24th August. Summer Championship

20th September. Greenwood Cup

21st September. Mike Wilson

Competitors of the Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship were competing at Harewood Hill over the weekend of 24th and 25th August for the Spring and Summer Championship Hillclimb meeting along with two and three wheeled competitors joining in on the action on the Sunday.

Spring Championship Hillclimb

This event was postponed back in April due to the very wet spring, leavening the Paddock and car parking areas unusable around the famous Yorkshire hill.

The events were Round’s five and six of the 2024 Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship, organised by the BARC Yorkshire Centre.

With two practice runs and a timed run completed before the lunch break, followed by two timed runs in the afternoon and a total start entry of 116 cars.

Saturday’s weather turned out to be the better of the two days even though it was overcast with a breeze, which resulted in perfect track conditions, for a number of competitors to set new class records:

Fastest Time of the Day was set by Mark Hemingway driving a Force TA car.

Full Results from the Spring Championship Hillclimb can be found here:

https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_efdd937df29846e89bdb0680da12137d.pdf

Summer Championship Hillclimb

On Sunday the Summer Championship Hillclimb had a total start entry of 105 cars and 21 motorbikes, including five sidecar entries.

Also joining in on the track side action were a large group of competitors from the road and race classes of the Paul Matty Lotus Championship.

Sunday morning was overcast and with a much stronger wind, than yesterday, keeping the temperatures down both on and off the track.

Competition got underway with the first practice run, which was completed in about 50 minutes. Second Practice run was completed in about an hour and a quarter. So, the competitors got in a timed run before the lunch break.

A second timed run was fully completed after the lunch break. It was during the third timed run that a competitor left a large amount of oil on the track leading into The Esses all the way up to Farmhouse, covering nearly half of the track.

The Harewood Orange Army (Marshals) did spend a fair amount of time dressing the oil and a couple of cars did go up the hill but a tuff decision, was made to abandon the meeting on safety grounds, by the Clerk of the Course and officials.

The fastest bike up the Yorkshire hill was set by Paul Jarrett ridding a KTM bike and the fastest sidecar was Aaron Hall and Garth Rawlings riding a Poole Trike.

In the Harewood Championship Adam Riley driving the VW UP still leads the Championship from Simon Green driving his Westfield Duratec and Henry Moorhouse driving the Honda powered Westfield in third place.

The Fast Time of the Day was again set by Mark Hemingway driving a Force TA.

After the Summer Championship Hillclimb David Tatham driving the McLaren M12C leads the Harewood FTD Award Series from Simon Green driving his Westfield Duratec in second place with Dave Banner driving the Westfield Megabusa now moving up to third place.

Full Results from the Summer Championship Hillclimb can be found here:
https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_356362555a544a51b1daaaf04c24629a.pdf

Harewood Championship Standings:
https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_34ea4862102a46eb9cf119dba65e85df.pdf

Harewood FTD Award Series:
https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_3eb0b13a19554c17bc7819f7988b3d9d.pdf

Many thanks to BARC Yorkshire centre for the opportunity to be track side. Also not forgetting all the Marshals, Medical and the Extractor Rescue team, along with all the back office staff without which the events at Harewood Hill could not take place.

The final two rounds of the 2024 Harewood Hillclimb Championship is over the weekend of the 21st and 22nd September for the Greenwood Cup and Mike Wilson Hillclimb.

JCB Photography was at Harewood Hill over the weekend of 3rd and 4th August for the Yorkshire Speed and Montague Burton Hillclimb along with competitors of the Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship, who were finally back on the famous Yorkshire Hill. Most of the regular competitors had not been at Harewood since early June.

This means that this month and next month will see six rounds of the Harewood Championship taking place in the next eight weekends. All are double headers, one round on each of the days.

Yorkshire Speed Hillclimb

Joining the Harewood regulars were a large group of competitors from the Northampton Motorsport Caterham and Lotus 7 Club Speed Championship.

With just the two practice runs completed before the lunch break followed by three timed runs in the afternoon.

Saturday’s weather turned out to be the better of the two days with sunny intervals and also the better of the track conditions. With three new class records being set.

Full Results from the Yorkshire Speed Hillclimb can be found here:

https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_1d5820c366c541f0817bf02bd1f2b924.pdf

Montague Burton Hillclimb

With some drizzle to start the first practice run, making the track very greasy for the first of the Sunday morning competitors. The grey clouds would stay with us for the rest of the day, however it did stay dry and was a little chilly for August with a slight breeze. This breeze would keep temperatures down both on and off the track. One class record was broken, 1C for Road Cars Production over 2000cc and 2 wheel drive, by Richard Andrews driving the Porsche 718 GT4.

A timed run as well as the two Practice runs were completed before a late lunch break with two further timed runs before the end of the meeting.

In the Harewood Championship Adam Riley still leads the Championship from Simon Green driving his Westfield Duratec with Henry Moorhouse driving the Honda powered Westfield in third place.

The Fast Time of the Day was again set by David Tatham driving the DJ Firehawk with Stephen Owen driving his OMS 28, and Jake Bellerby in third, driving his OMS 2000M.

After the Montague Burton Hillclimb David Tatham driving the DJ Firehawk, now leads the Harewood FTD Award Series from Simon Green driving his Westfield Duratec in joint second place with Stephen Owen driving his OMS 28 and Dave Banner driving the Westfield Megabusa.

Full Results from the Montague Burton Hillclimb can be found here:

https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_52e961bb95de4eaca802b0fc6f5814e5.pdf

Harewood Championship Standings:

https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_ae572ef3bab945eeb17e947a0408ae04.pdf

Harewood FTD Award Series:

https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_4022470ac92c4f84abe44c6fe8f0d3f8.pdf

Many thanks to BARC Yorkshire centre for the opportunity to be track side. Also not forgetting all the Marshals, Medical and the Darlington and District Rescue team, along with all the back office staff without which the events at Harewood Hill could not take place.

Junior Euan Bruce, 14 years old, takes to the longest Hillclimb in the UK. Euan was competing in a MG ZR over the weekend of 6th and 7th July at Harewood Hill, along with the cream of the British Hillclimb Championship contenders.

The junior series has been set-up to encourage new young blood to get involved in Motorsport at Sprints and Hillclimb level. Juniors have to first complete three Sprint events before they can move onto the hillclimb's. The junior competitor must be on track by him or herself.

The car has to be a standard production car with a maximum of 110bhp, Post 2000 year, with a minimum of 5000 cars produced in standard spec and on road tyres. Only safety modifications i.e. roll cage, harness and seat.

He shares the car with his dad John, who is an ex-Scottish Hillclimb Road car Champion. John had competed at Harewood 30 or so years ago. Euan and John along with his mum Julia form the Bruce Racing Team. Euan had been involved with servicing and maintenance of the car including rebuilding of the 1400cc engine after a failure at Kames earlier in the 2024 season.

For 2024 he is competing in the Scottish Sprint and Hillclimb Championship. Euan Bruce was the first junior and youngest ever driver at a British Hillclimb Championship event in England. Both he and his dad John are looking forward to coming back again next year to Harewood Speed Hillclimb.

To find out more information about becoming a young racer in UK motorsport head over to the Motorsport UK website where all of the information you will need to start racing can be found.

To see my photo report on the PistonClick website:

https://www.pistonclick.com/euan-bruce

Many thanks to Julia Bruce for all the background information.

JCB Photography joined Competitors from The British Hillclimb Championship’s return to Harewood Hill for rounds 13 and 14 of the British Hillclimb Championship.

The event was not a round of the Harewood Hillclimb Championship, but a number of regulars did take part against the cream of the British Hillclimb Championship contenders, making the event a full entry of 150 competitors.

Also joining in this weekend would be competitors from the Porsche Club Speed Championship for two rounds of its championship.

Two Practices runs and up to three timed runs were completed on the Saturday for the Inter-club classes. Along with two Practice runs for the BHC competitors and a couple of timed runs. However, these timed runs did not count for any points in the Championship. It was during the timed run after lunch that it started raining, though it was nothing like the rain that was forecast for Sunday. We can all hope that the forecast and weather apps are wrong.

Sunday

Alex Summers driving the DJ Firestorm comes to Harewood leading the Championship by 16 points from Will Hall and Matt Ryder. The weather or rather the rain, would have a very large impact on the event, which it seems to have managed at some of the other rounds of the British Hillclimb Championship (BHC) in 2024 as well. With a number of downpours throughout the day.

After one of the downpours, which was so heavy it resulted in standing water at Willow corner. Once this was cleared by the Marshals and inspected by the Clerk of the Course. The track was still wet but no standing water. The next issue was that a number of single seaters, who had left the paddock when it was nice and dry were now waiting on the start line area all on slick tyres. These drivers were given the all clear to very carefully drive back up to the paddock area to change onto wets.

The fastest twelve would have a run-off for British Hillclimb Championship points, though only the top ten would be awarded points from ten down to one point for tenth place. This would then be repeated for the next round of the Championship.

When the run-off for BHC points takes place, only one car is on the track at a time, once the competitor has past the finish line, will post twenty, located after the finish and reports on the radio that the car has cleared the finish and is in the paddock, will the time keepers set the timing for the next competitor and the start line marshals signal to the driver to watch for the green light.

After the Practice runs and the first of the timed runs for all competitors. The all important run-offs for Round 13 of the BHC and Round 1 of the Tin Top Ten Challenge were completed.

Top 3 in the First Run-Off Round 13.

1st Matthew Ryder driving a Gould GR59J

2nd Wallace Menzies driving a Gould GR59

3rd Will Hall driving a Gould GR59 Judd

David Tatham driving his DJ Firehawk Car# 108 was the only one of the Harewood regulars competing to make it into both run-offs. Though Ben Hamer driving a OMS28 Car #803 also managed to get into the first run-off.

Then after a very late lunch break, the second of the time runs were completed with another downpour during this timed run. The all important second run-offs were completed on a wet to damp and drying track. Which was when the three fastest times of the day were set, some 4 seconds off the hill record set by Matthew Ryder.

Top 3 in the Second Run-Off Round 14.

1st Matthew Ryder driving a Gould GR59J

2nd Alex Summers driving a DJ Firestorm

3rd Jack Cottrill driving a Dallara

Alex Summers still leads the BHC leaving Harewood, with Matthew Ryder moving up to second after his two wins this weekend. While Will Hall drops to third place and Trevor Willis is still in fourth place, now 22 points behind Will.

The next rounds of the 2024 British Hillclimb Championship is due to take place at Bouley Bay, Jersey on Wednesday 17th July followed by Val Des Terres, Guernsey on 20th July. Both these events are organised by The Jersey Motorcycle and Light Car Club.

Tin Top Ten Challenge.

This weekend was also the opening round of the British Hillclimb Championship (BHC) Tin Top-Top Ten Challenge. This Challenge has been expanded to ten rounds for the 2024 season. Reigning 2023 BHC Tin Top Challenge Champion, Damien Bradley along with runner up Steve Darley, who shares the Subaru Legacy with Damien. Former BHC Champion Roger Moran was driving his Skoda Fabia R5 also in a Skoda Fabia R5 was Eynon Price. Eynon a former BHC single seater driver and rally driver was taking part for the first time in the Tin Top Challenge.

The fastest ten would have a run-off for Championship points, from ten down to one point for tenth place. This was then repeated after the second timed runs for round two of the Championship.

Top 3 of the Tintop Challenge. Round 1:

1st Roger Moran driving a Skoda Fabia R5

2nd Damien Bradley driving a Subaru Legacy GL

3rd Eynon Price driving a Skoda Fabia R5

Full Results of the Top 10 Tintop Challenge Round 1:

https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_addb00e7e19342b983528ba848448e46.pdf

Top 3 of the Tintop Challenge. Round 2:

1st Simon Bainbridge driving a Crono V8

2nd Damien Bradley driving a Subaru Legacy GL

3rd Steven Darley driving a Subaru Legacy GL

Full Results of the Top 10 Tintop Challenge Round 2:

https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_bd4e146b656b4682b72324665bde7824.pdf

Damien Bradley leads the Tin Top Ten Challenge after taking two 2nd places in the run-offs. His co-driver Steven Darley also qualified for the first of the BHC top 12 run-off for Round 13 and also scored points in that championship.

Full timings and Results for Sunday:

https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_9596211d632c4a88813e922b2d703a3f.pdf

The next month is very busy for the competitors of the Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship with the Yorkshire Speed Hillclimb on Saturday 3rd August then on the Sunday, the Montague Burton. Followed just three weeks later by the rescheduled, from 14th April, the Spring National event on Saturday 24th August and then the Summer Championship on the Sunday.

Many thanks to BARC Yorkshire centre for the opportunity to be track side. Also not forgetting all the Marshals, Medical and the Darlington and District Rescue team, along with all the back office staff without which the events at Harewood Hill could not take place.

The BARC Yorkshire Centre organised over the weekend of 8th and 9th June 2024, two every different days of action on the famous Yorkshire hill, located on the edge of Yorkshire’s beautiful Wharfedale valley.

With cars competing from the very start of motoring on the Saturday and on the Sunday much more modern-day cars. Both days would have a full entry list, though a handful of cars did not make the start.

Joining the VSCC were a number of competitors from the Morgan Sports Car Club, Austin Healey Cars, Classic Marques Speed Challenge and a number of Harewood regulars, who’s cars fitted in any of the Classic classes for early 70’s Saloon, Sports and Racing cars.

With only the two Practice runs completed before the lunch break and two-timed runs in the afternoon.

A number of new Class Records were set including William Marsh driving an Austin 7 Ulster, car #85 in Class V1 for Standard and Modified Sports and Saloon Cars up to 750cc.

Nigel Dowding driving a Riley Brooklands, car #96 set a new class record for Class V2, Standard and Modified Sports and Saloon Cars 751 to 1100cc un-supercharged and up to 750cc supercharged.

Jonathan Giles driving a Morgan GN ‘Salome’, car#169, set a new class record for Class V13, Pre 1941 Racing Cars up to 1100cc.

The fastest Vintage car up the hill was Michael James driving a Riley 12/4 Cotton Special, car #146.

The fastest Classic car was Harewood regular David Tatham driving a McLaren M12C. David also broke the Class Record in C21 for Classic Racing and Sports Racing cars built up to and including 1975. The record was set all the way back to 8th June 2008.

Full Results from the Classic and Vintage Hillclimb can be found here:

https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_61f943d58fc947f2ab1e710908a80b58.pdf

Fast Time of the Day and Top 4 in Class:

https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_0343b73d56b04ca5bb83b06c16533d7a.pdf

The next main competitive event, for the VSCC competitors is the Seaman Trophy Race meeting at Cadwell Park Circuit in Lincolnshire.

Jim Thomson Hillclimb

On Sunday the Jim Thomson Hillclimb took to the hill, which is Round Two of the 2024 Harewood Championship.

Joining the Harewood regulars where competitors from the Morgan Sports Car Club, Austin Healey Cars, Aston Martin Owners Club Speed Series and Classic Marques Speed Challenge.

Adam Riley driving the VW UP, car #97 currently leads the Harewood Championship from Henry Moorhouse driving his Honda powered Westfield, car #142 and Simon Green driving his Westfield Duratec is third place, car #176. Adam set a new class record in only his second meeting in the new car, during his second timed run and then lowered the record again in his third timed run.

In the Fastest Time of the Day Championship (FTD) only David Tatham, who started in eighth place was at Harewood Hillclimb. All of the other competitors in the top ten, are regular competitors from the British Hillclimb Championship.

After the Jim Thomson event Stephen Owen driving his OMS 28, car #191 is now joint leader of the Harewood FTD Championship with Will Hall. Trevor Willis is joint third with Simon Green driving his Westfield Duratec is third place, car #176. Will and Trevor are British Hillclimb Championship competitors.

The drivers that posted the fastest times of the day up the hill on Sunday Stephen Owen driving his OMS28 car#191, from Simon Green driving his Westfield Duratec, car #176 and Anthony Middleton driving his Westfield, car #174.

Full Results from the Jim Thomson Hillclimb can be found here:

https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_f03c63531135420792ae79d1ce1bc655.pdf

Harewood Championship Standings:

https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_7054488735ef4caeb383c7318fa6a5d6.pdf

FTD Championship Standings:

Many thanks to BARC Yorkshire centre for the opportunity to be track side. Also not forgetting all the Marshals, Medical and the Darlington and District Rescue team, along with all the back-office staff without which the events at Harewood Hill could not take place.

Next events at Harewood Hill will see the second visit of the 2024 season for British Hillclimb Championship over the weekend of 6th and 7th July.

The next meeting for the Harewood Hillclimb Championship is over the weekend of the 3rd and 4th August for the Yorkshire Speed and Montague Burton Hillclimb.

Harewood Open and British Championship Hillclimb.

After a very, very long wet winter and spring JCB Photography was at Harewood Hill for a very late start to the 2024 Motor-sport season on the famous Yorkshire hill.

Practice Day event was original scheduled for 24th March, the organisers had to make a difficult decision to postpone the event, due to excessive rainfall over the weeks leading up to the event, which had left the ground waterlogged meaning large areas of the parking field and paddock unusable. This event was rescheduled for Saturday 13th April but again due to the waterlogged ground that event was cancelled altogether and the Spring National Hillclimb event which was due to take place on Sunday 14th April was rescheduled for the 24th August.

All this meant that the first Hillclimb event taking place at Harewood Hill was over the weekend of 11th and 12th May for the Harewood Open Hillclimb, on the Saturday, as part of the Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship. While the first of what will be two visits by the British Hillclimb Championship competitors on the Sunday, which would not be part of the Harewood Championship.

Even so a number of competitors from the British Hillclimb Championship and Ferrari Owners Club would join the competitors from the Harewood Hillclimb Championship on the Saturday.

2023 Harewood Hillclimb Champion, Adam Riley, now sharing a front wheel drive VW UP, car #22, with Doug Mitchell. Adam having switched from sharing the rear wheel drive, turbo engined Honda S2000 of Carl Jackson. Adam came away from the meeting leading the 2024 Championship and came very close, just 0.24 seconds from setting a new 1A class record for Road Cars Series Production, up to and including 1400cc set by Mark Teale driving a Suzuki Swift on 06th June 2021. So I will be very, very surprised if this class record does not go before the end of this season, based on Adams previous record setting. With the best 6 scores to count, from the 8 Rounds of the Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship.

In the Ferrari Hillclimb Championship run by the Ferrari Owners Club. David Snelson driving a Ferrari 488 Spider car# 220 set a new class record on Saturday. The record was set back in May 2019. Then he beat his own class record again on the Sunday.

Full timings and Results for Harewood Open Hillclimb can be found here:

https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_a2641b751e2b42ba80ccd7128c6af210.pdf

Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship Results:

https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_388d09ee51bf44e4a52083f9df8e0dca.pdf

In the Fastest Time of the Day Championship (FTD) 2023 Champion David Tatham driving his DJ Firehawk, car #152, is the highest place Harewood regular. All the other drivers above him are from the British Hillclimb Championship. David did both days and is eighth in the FTD Championship.

FTD Championship Results:

https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_11e0ea70c90b4e55b8482f1890a95c60.pdf

Sunday. British Hillclimb Championship.

Just like the Harewood Championship the British Hillclimb Championship has had events postponed at Prescott which has been rescheduled for 17th & 18th August. Craigantlet in Northern Ireland was abandoned on 4th May due to heavy rain causing the track to flood in places and neither of the run-offs having taken place.

However this was not before British Championship Hillclimb 2023 Champion Wallace Menzies driving a Gould GR59, car #1 went off and damaged his car, meaning that Wallace was not at Harewood this weekend.

All this meant that Harewood Hill would also be the first Round of the 2024 British Hillclimb Championship.

The two Practices runs were completed before the lunch break, under variable cloud. The first timed run for the British Hillclimb Championship got underway with some nice warm sunshine.

The fastest twelve would have a run-off for Championship points, though only the top ten would be awarded points from ten down to one point for tenth place. This would then be repeated for the next round of the Championship.

Scott Moran who has won the British Hillclimb Championship six times (2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2016) is taking time out of the Championship this year but was at Harewood sharing with his father, 1997 British Hillclimb Champion Roger Moran Skoda Fabia R5. So Scott had car#2 on the door as he was runner up last year to Wallace Menzies. Roger was car# 702.

Top 3 in the First Run-Off.

1st Car #3, Matthew Ryder driving a Gould GR59J

2nd Car #6, Trevor Willis driving a OMS28

3rd Car #7 Sean Gould driving a Gould GR59BJ

Full Results of the Top Twelve. First Run-Off.

https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_ae98606d928c477faa23db3bada6433b.pdf

Top 3 in the Second Run-Off.

1st Car #3, Matthew Ryder driving a Gould GR59J

2nd Car #6, Trevor Willis driving a OMS28

3rd Car #4 Alex Summers driving a DJ Firestorm

Matthew Ryder takes the lead in the British Hillclimb Championship after winning both rounds with 20 points. With Trevor Willis in second on 18 points. Though Trevor got closer in the time difference, during the second run-off from 0.39 to 0.17. Sean Gould and Alex Summers are joint third with 15 points. The next round of the 2024 British Hillclimb Championship is due to take place at Gurston Down over the weekend of 25th and 26th May but will be back at Harewood Hill over the weekend of 6th and 7th July, after also competing at Shelsey Walsh and Doune.

For all events see link: https://www.britishhillclimb.co.uk/calendar-2024

Full Results of the Top Twelve. Second Run-Off.

https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_d40904b3f2734a96b2cb44b1f9b47c00.pdf

Full timings and Results for all cars. British Championship Hillclimb can be found here:

https://www.harewoodhill.com/_files/ugd/882d72_0afc3eacf5ff4099aef7f7ec430f9565.pdf

The next action at Harewood Hill will be on Saturday 8th June when the Classic and Vintage Hillclimb takes place for Round three of the VSCC Speed Championship, with competitors from the Vintage Sports Car Club (VSCC). While Round two of the Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship takes place on Sunday 9th June with the Jim Thomson Hillclimb.

Many thanks to BARC Yorkshire centre for the opportunity to be track side. Also not forgetting all the Marshals, Medical and the Darlington and District Rescue team, along with all the back office staff without which the events at Harewood Hill could not take place.

Useful websites for the event:

Harewood Hill: https://www.harewoodhill.com/

Live Timing: www.hwtiming.co.uk

JCB Photography and some of the grid for the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship was at Croft Circuit on Wednesday 10th April for the second of three offical TOCA test days. Brands Hatch (using the Indy circuit), was the first of these offical test days which had taken place on 3rd April and the final test will be at Donington Park on 16th April.

The 2024 competitive season will kick off on 27th and 28th April at Donington Park Circuit using the National circuit for Rounds 1, 2 and 3.

The BTCC will return to Croft on 27th and 28th July for Rounds 16, 17 and 18 with the season rounded off at Brands Hatch (using the Grand Prix circuit) for Round 28, 29 and 30.

Under overcast conditions, the teams testing got under way, with a cold wind, the track was just about dry but during the morning session we had several showers and those showers turned heavier during the lunch break.

With two or three red flags or in this case red lights during the morning test session that JCB Photography was at Croft Circuit for.

EXCELR8 Motorsport’s Ronan Pearson set the overall pace during the relative dry morning session. With wet conditions in the afternoon sesson. 2023 BTCC Champion Ash Sutton topped his team mate Daniel Rowbottom both driving the 2023 Team Championship Team Championship winning NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus ST's.

Full timings for the test at Croft can be found here:

https://www.tsl-timing.com/file/?f=TOCA/2024/241541trg.pdf

After an inspection of the venue on Saturday 6th April, BARC Yorkshire Centre has had to cancel its Practice Day (which was rescheduled from 24th March) and postpone the Spring National Championship Hillclimb due to all the extreme wet weather over recent weeks, which has left large areas of both the parking and paddock areas waterlogged.

The Spring National Championship Hillclimb has been rescheduled to take place on Saturday 24th August. This will make that weekend a double header with the Summer Championship meeting, taking place on the Sunday.

This means that the first hillclimb event to take place at Harewood Hill in 2024 will be the Harewood Open and British Hillclimb Championship over the weekend of 11th and 12th May.

JCB Photography was at Cadwell Park Circuit on Sunday 31st March 2024 for the Alan Healy Memorial Rally. With 9 Special Stages using not only the Circuit but access roads, the pit lane and even the circuit in reverse. Organized by the Border Motor Club (Lincolnshire).

This is round eight of the 2023/24 MGJ Engineering Circuit Rally Championship. The final round nine of the 2023/2024 championship is at Anglesey, for the Altratech SMC Stages on Sunday 14th April. The event is also rounds of the Alpha Concrete ANEMMC and Clubman Motorsport EMAMC Stage Rally Championships. The event organisers had retained the holding area hairpin, which proved popular last year, in addition to the give competitors over 45 challenging miles on some of the best circuit tarmac in the country.

The rally is once again being run in memory of Alan Healy, the late President of Border Motor Club (Lincolnshire) and one of the Club's founder members.

The competing field was made-up of cars included the Subaru Impreza along with more modern WRC cars such as a Skoda Fabia and Ford Fiesta’s and off course Ford Escorts MKII including an Escort Cosworth and a Talbot Avenger. The Rally Service Area was open all day to allow a close-up of the competitors as they service and prepare for each special stage.

After some overnight fog, which cleared during the first couple of stages. The sun was out but that didn’t last too long before the wind picked up and it clouded over. Thankfully the rain did stay away until the last stage.

Winners of the Alan Healy Memorial Rally was Michael Igoe and co-driver Will Atkins in the Citroen C3 Rally2, second was Tony Robinson and co-driver Paul Spooner in the Skoda Fabia R5 and third was James Garner and co-driver Jordan Jones in the Darrian GTR.

For all the Results from the Alan Healy Memorial Rally 2024 can be found here:

https://www.ewrc-results.com/final/85617-alan-healy-memorial-rally-2024/

JCB Photography would like to thank the Border Motor Club, MotorSport Vision, all the Event Sponsors, Motorsport UK, Rescue and Recovery Units, Medical personnel, Officials, and Marshals, without which the event could not have taken place.

Cadwell Sprint 2024

JCB Photography was at Cadwell Park Circuit for the Cadwell Park Sprint on Sunday 23rd March 2024. The event was organised by BARC Midlands Centre.

The Sprint was attended by several clubs including Hillclimb and Sprint Association (HSA), BARC, Lotus Cup, MG Car Club, TR Register, Nottingham Sports Car Club and Morgan Sports Car Club, all competitors competing in different Speed Championships.

The event got under way around nine o’clock with the Practice run, followed by up to four timed runs. With the sun out for most of the morning the rest of the day was mainly dry but with a very icy strong wind and a mid morning light shower with hailstones luckily this didn’t last very long.

The Sprint start was just outside the Hospitality building and not at the racetrack start-line and the finish was near the pedestrian bridge, so the competitors did not get to go up the famous The Mountain climb, part of the racetrack. The Sprint Course is 3.15km in length.

In the National event Peter Goulding driving a Mygale FF200 set the Best Time of Day. While in the Inter-club event Mick Dent driving a Westfield Megabusa set the Best Time of Day.

National Results:

https://www.barc-midlands.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/BARC_Midlands_Cadwell_Park_Sprint_23-03-2024_National_Results.pdf

Inter-club Results:

https://www.barc-midlands.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/BARC_Midlands_Cadwell_Park_Sprint_23-03-2024_Interclub_Results.pdf

JCB Photography was at the East Riding Stages Rally on Sunday 25th February 2024. For Special Stages 5 & 6 at Westwood Super-special in the market town of Beverley in East Yorkshire. The event was organized by the Beverley & District Motor Club.

With five stages, each run twice and a ceremonial start and finish in Beverley’s Saturday Marketplace. The first of the 150 competitors were flagged away at 09:00, with such a large entry is a testament to the rally’s growing popularity in only its third year of running.

The event is only one of five closed road rallies in the country. Which means that the club use closed public roads which are then used as special stages for the event. Competitors use other public roads to get to each stage, so the cars have to be road legal and obey the highway code.

The rally featured some challenging stages across East Yorkshire’s roads, attracting some of the best competitors from across the UK. A large number of competitors were driving Ford Fiesta’s of different specs, from WRC to R5 and R2’s, along with Ford Escort’s, Subaru Impreza’s, Mitsubishi Evo’s and a number of other manufacturers including an Aston Martin Vantage build by Prodrive (the same team that build the Subaru’s Impreza for 1995 World Rally Champion Colin McRae) for the Race of Champions. With many thousands of rally fans, lining the stage at Westwood.

After a cold and overnight frost, a number of competitors hit trouble in the first couple of stages, including the past winner of this event David Henderson who had turbo issues and would eventually retire from the event.

The sun did come out, mid-morning but started to cloud over just before the action got underway for the start of SS5. Competitors were set off at one-minute intervals but once the first car was due to start SS6 (this followed only 15 minutes later after the start of SS5 and was the same stage layout), this was reduced to 30 seconds as later cars starting SS5 would also be setting off.

Winner of the 2024 East Riding Stages Rally was Mark Kelly driving the Skoda Fabia R5, car#5, with co-driver Will Atkins.

Top 3.

Car 5. Skoda Fabia R5 driven by Mark Kelly and co-driver Will Atkins

Car 3. Hyundai I20 R5 driven by James Williams and co-driver Ross Wittock

Car 2. Ford Fiesta Rally2 driven by Callum Black and co-driver Jack Morton

Full Results from the event can be found here:

https://www.ewrc-results.com/final/86145-east-riding-stages-rally-2024/