BARC Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship Practice Day

Report and Images by Chris Bannister

19 March 2023

BARC Yorkshire Centre organised a Practice Day Hillclimb meeting on Sunday 19th March 2023 which was only open to BARC Yorkshire Members and invited Motor Clubs. Also taking part was a number of drivers who will be competing in the MotorSport UK British Hillclimb Championship, Drivers such as Johnathen Varley in his GWR Predator, car #77 who set Fastest Time of the Day on his second run with a 53.37 and Richard Spedding driving his GWR Raptor 2, car#7 who set a time of 53.88 on his third timed run.

The event is used by some competitors a chance to check out the cars and dust off the winter cobwebs before the Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship gets underway with the Spring National on Sunday 9^th April 2023.

Harewood Hill is the longest speed hillclimb venue in the UK, with a truly spectacular setting looking over the valley of the Wharfedale valley.

The Competitors paddock is at the top of the hill from with the whole track can be seen. Instead of a return road, there is a road know as “the Shute” to allow the cars to reach the start line, this had just been resurfaced. This layout means that cars are able to run continually on the course without the delays of cars having completed the course waiting to return to the paddock.

The course itself heads across to Clarks, then down hill to the Esses before, climbing up to Country, then across to Willow before heading up to Orchard. From Orchard it is across to Farmhouse in, then round Farmhouse out before climbing up to Quarry, possibly the most fearsome bend on the course, providing the competitor does not drift wide out into the gravel trap on the left and over the finish line.

The event got underway at 9:00, with a damp track after rain on Saturday afternoon and overnight. The competitors would have some slippy conditions until the sun and wind dried the track out. All the practice runs would be timed.

During the lunch break the sun disappeared and it clouded over, so the track was now dry but the temperature was much colder for the afternoon runs. Some drivers managed up to eight runs over the day.

It is unlikely that Adam Riley the 2021 and 2022 champion will be at Harewood Hill in 2023 to defend his Championship. So will we crown a new Champion or will it be a passed Champion that takes the Glenn Garnett Trophy in 2023 (BARC Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship)? Adam is now taking a break from hillclimbing and his Honda S2000 was sold in late 2022.

Tracey Wise now driving a Jedi, car #68 who finished second to Adam in the Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship in 2022, with Rob Spedding who finished third, driving his Formula Ford Vector TF93K, car #73 both drivers were at the event and managed to complete eight and seven timed runs. It was not the same for a number of competitors who had mechanical issues during the day and kept the Marshals and Recovery crews busy.

2023 BARC Yorkshire Centre Harewood Speed Hillclimb:

9^th April. Spring Nation Hillclimb.

6^th May. Harewood Open Hillclimb.

4^th June. Jim Thomson Hillclimb.

1^st July. July Harewood Championship Hillclimb.

5^th August. Yorkshire Speed Hillclimb.

6^th August. Montague Burton Hillclimb.

27^th August. Summer Championship Hillclimb.

16^th September. Greenwood Cup Hillclimb.

17^th September. Mike Wilson Hillclimb.

Other Hillclimb Events at Harewood Hill organized by the BARC Yorkshire Centre:

7^th May. May British Championship Hillclimb. Part of the British Hillclimb Championship.

3^rd June. Classic and Vintage Hillclimb. (Not part of the Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship)

1^st & 2^nd July. July British Championship Hillclimb. Part of the British Hillclimb Championship.

Many thanks to BARC Yorkshire centre for the opportunity to be track-side and not forgetting all the Marshals, Medical, Rescue teams including Darlington Motor Club Rescue without which the event could not take part.

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