July Harewood Hillclimb Championship and British Championship Hillclimb
Report by Chris Bannister
1st and 2nd July 2023.
July Harewood Championship Hillclimb
With one hundred drivers competing in the Harewood Championship Hillclimb and one hundred and one drivers from the British Hillclimb Championship and a number of drivers from the Porsche Club GB taking to the track the event got under way at 9:00 O’clock.
During the mornings practice runs we had some light showers but the main problem was the wind not only blowing the camera about while trying to take photos at the Esses but due to the nature of the track, winding across, down and up the hill was causing problems for the competitors.
Only two practice runs were completed for all drivers before lunch as each run was taking approximately two hours to complete. The British Hillclimb Championship had a third practice run during the afternoon, as these competitors would not have any timed runs today, so Harewood regular David Tatham driving his DJ Firehawk, car# 202 set the fastest time of the day, followed by Emma Rayson driving the Empire 00 car# 201 and Damien Bradley in the very quick and highly modified Subaru Legacy GL, car#184.
The Harewood Championship competitors, only had two timed runs during the afternoon.
It is these timed runs which are used for the Harewood Championship scores. Rob Spedding driving his Vector TF93K, car #208 still leads the championship from David Leach driving his Lotus Elise, car#169 with Jimmy Harris driving the Van Diemen RF85 car #207 moved up from fourth to third place as Daniel Hollis, who was not out this weekend, drops well down in the championship.
Harewood Championship: Saturday 01 July 2023 — July Harewood Championship Hillclimb
In the Harewood Fastest Time of the Day Championship David Tatham driving his DJ Firehawk, car #202 now leads from John Prickett driving his Radical PR6, car # 193 with Richard Spedding driving his GWR Raptor 2 car#7 dropping down to third.
Fast Time of the Day Championship: Saturday 01 July 2023 BARC Harewood FTD Award Series
Saturday's Full Times and Results for the Harewood Championship:
Saturday 01 July 2023 Event Results
Sunday 3rd July British Championship Hillclimb Rounds 15 & 16
Championship leader coming into the event was 2022 Champion Wallace Menzies driving a Gould GR59, car #1 with six-time British Hillclimb Champion Scott Moran driving a Gould GR59J, car #3 in second and Matthew Ryder also driving a Gould GR59J car# 5 in third place.
During the mornings two practice runs we still has a couple of showers but again the main issue was the wind, though it may not have been quiet as strong but was still about.
After lunch we had the timed runs and it was these time runs which would be used for the Championship run off's and points for the different Championships.
New for the 2023 season and for the first time at Harewood would be a Tin Top Challenge. This challenge would take place over three events, Harewood been the first, the second would take place at Shelsley Walsh on 12th and 13th August with the final rounds at Loton Park on 23rd and 24th September.
The ten fastest Tin Top competitors from both the first and second timed runs will qualify for a run off. The competitor with the fastest time in each run off will score ten points, all the way down to one point for tenth place. Damien Bradley and Steven Darley would share the highly modified Subaru Legacy GL for the event.
Top 10 Tintop Run 1
1st Damien Bradley. Subaru Legacy GL. Car#42. 56.30 secs.
2nd Steven Darley. Subaru Legacy GL. Car#742. 56.76 secs.
3rd Simon Bainbridge. SBR Crono V8. Car#56. 58.64 secs.
Results for the Tintop Challenge Round 1. Sunday 02 July 2023 — British Championship Hillclimb TOP 10 Tintop Run 1 Times
Top 10 Tintop Run 2
1st Steven Darley. Subaru Legacy GL. Car#742. 56.63 secs.
2nd Damien Bradley. Subaru Legacy GL. Car#42. 56.99 secs.
3rd Simon Bainbridge. SBR Crono V8. Car#56. 58.28 secs.
Results for the Tintop Challenge Round 2. Sunday 02 July 2023 — British Championship Hillclimb TOP 10 Tintop Run 2 Times
The first timed run for round fifteen of the British Hillclimb Championship (these are the Racing Cars) would be completed before a top twelve 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 be repeated for Round sixteen of the Championship.
When the run-off for British Championship points takes place only one car is on the track at a time (unlike on the Saturday or any time during a normal Harewood Championship meeting, when three or four cars can be on the track at any one time), this is until post twenty, located after the finish, has been on the radio to say that the car has cleared the finish and is in the paddock.
Harewood Ladies Hill Record holder Nicola Menzies was competing but not in the car she shares with Dave Uren but her record, set from this meeting in 2022 of 50.74 secs, still stands.
The Hill Record set by Matt Ryder driving a Gould GR59J, car #5 set in 2022 with a time of 46.39 secs still stands.
British Championship Hillclimb First Run-off. Round 15
1st Wallace Menzies. Gould GR59. Car#1. 47.80secs.
2nd Matthew Ryder. Gould GR59J. Car #5. 48.02secs.
3rd Scott Moran. Gould GR59. Car#3. 48.52secs.
Results for Round 15. Sunday 02 July 2023 — British Championship Hillclimb TOP 12 Run 1 Times
Second Run-off. Round 16
1st. Matthew Ryder. Gould GR59J. Car #5. 47.70 secs.
2nd Wallace Menzies. Gould GR59. Car#1. 48.04 secs.
3rd Sean Gould. Gould GR59BJ Car#705. 48.71 secs.
Results for Round 16. Sunday 02 July 2023 — British Championship Hillclimb TOP 12 Run 2 Times
British Championship Hillclimb Full Results: Sunday 02 July 2023 Event Results
Next events are the Yorkshire Speed and Montague Burton Hillclimb meetings which take place on Saturday 5th August, followed on the Sunday by the Montague Burton Hillclimb.
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 weekends events could not have taken place.
Harewood Speed Hillclimb course track details.
Harewood Speed Hillclimb is located between the villages of Harewood and Collingham just off the A659. SatNav postcode LS17 9LA. What Three Words. admit.uncle.piston
Harewood Hillclimb is the longest speed hillclimb in mainland UK with a track length of 1448 metres. The all tarmac track is set against the beautiful backdrop of the Wharfedale valley in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire.
The fastest cars can complete the course in under 50 seconds with top speeds in excess of 130 mph.
Harewood Hillclimb record is 46.39 secs. set by Matthew Ryder driving a Gould GR59J on 03/07/2022.
Ladies Hill record is 50.74 secs. set by Nicola Menzies driving a Gould GR55B on 03/07/2022.
You can contact JCB Photography via his social media, website or email him directly.
You can share this report with your friends on Social Media using these links.
Follow us on Social Media: