July Harewood Hillclimb Championship and British Championship Hillclimb
Report by Chris Bannister of JCB Photography
2nd - 3rd July 2022
Harewood Speed Hillclimb course track details.
BARC Harewood Hillclimb is the longest speed hillclimb in mainland UK located between the villages of Harewood and Collingham on the A659. The all tarmac track is set against the beautiful backdrop of the Wharfedale valley in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire SatNav postcode LS17 9LA.
The fastest cars can complete the 1448 metres long course in under 50 seconds. With top speeds in excess of 130 mph.
Hillclimb record is 46.86 set by Wallace Menzies driving a Gould GR59 on 08/05/2022.
Ladies Hill record is 53.03 set by Nicola Menzies driving a Gould GR55B on 08/05/2022.
A normal Harewood Championship event will start at 9:00 with two practice runs and if time allows a timed run before the lunch break followed by at least another two-timed runs during the afternoon. It is the timed runs which are used for the Championship scores.
Website
Live timing
July Harewood Championship Hillclimb.
Saturday’s event for the July Harewood Championship Hillclimb meeting got under way at 9:00. During the two practice runs we had some showers and again during the lunch break.
The drivers had two practice runs before lunch and three timed runs in the afternoon under better conditions as the sun finally came out.
It is these timed runs which are used for the Harewood Championship scores. Adam Riley driving his Honda S2000, car #73 still leads from Rob Spedding driving his Vector TF93K, car #153, while Terry Deere driving his Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, car #66 drops to fourth, while John Prickett driving his Radical PR6, car #129 is now third.
In the Harewood Fastest Time of the Day Championship David Tatham driving his OMS Hornet, car #143 and John Prickett driving his Radical PR6, car #129 are joint leaders with Robin Wood is third, though he was not taking part this weekend.
Sunday 3rd July. British Championship Hillclimb Rounds 17 & 18.
Championship leader coming into the event was Alex Summers in a DJ Firestorm, car #2. 2021 defending Champion Wallace Menzies driving a Gould GR59, car #1 and six time British Hillclimb Champion Scott Moran driving a Gould GR59, car #4 were also competing at this event.
It is a different format for the British Championship Hillclimb. During the morning practice runs we still has a couple of showers.
After the normal two practice runs the event was ahead of time so a third practice run was organised before the lunch break. The sun came out for the afternoon timed runs and the wind picked up throughout the afternoon.
The first timed run for round seventeen of the British Championship 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 Eighteen 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.
Nicola Menzies driving the Gould GR55B, car #706, that she shares with David Uren, car #6 set a new Ladies Hill Record during her first timed run of 50.74 secs.
The Hill Record was broken during the first Run-off by Wallace Menzies driving his Gould GR59, car #1 set a time of 46.75 secs. This was later broken on the final run of the day by Matt Ryder driving a Gould GR59J, car #183 who set a time of 46.31secs.
British Championship Hillclimb First Run-off Round 17
| Driver | Car | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wallace Menzies | Gould GR59 Car #1 | 46.75 secs |
| 2 | Scott Moran | Gould GR59 Car #4 | 47.35 secs |
| 3 | Trevor Willis | OMS 28 Car #5 | 47.93 secs |
British Championship Hillclimb Second Run-off Round 18
| Driver | Car | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew Ryder | Gould GR59J. Car #183 | 46.39 secs |
| 2 | Wallace Menzies | Gould GR59 Car #1 | 47.27 secs |
| 3 | Trevor Willis | OMS 28 Car #5 | 47.32 secs |
Sunday 03 July 2022 — British Championship Hillclimb Results
Next events are the Yorkshire Speed and Montague Burton Hillclimb meetings which take place on Saturday 6th August, followed on Sunday the 6th 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 weekend’s events could not have taken place.
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