Yorkshire Speed and Montague Burton Hillclimb 

Report by JCB photography Chris Bannister

5^th and 6^th August 2023.

The Yorkshire Speed Hillclimb got underway at 9.00 on Saturday morning under some very dark clouds with a few spits and spots of rain but all around the hill, throughout the day you could see the rain. This was much better than the weather forecast which had forecast rain all day, though the rain finally arrived during the fourth run.

A large group of Caterham's competing in the Caterham and Lotus 7 Club Speed Championship along with a number of drivers from the Bugatti Owners Club Championship (though no Bugatti cars took place) joined the Harewood regulars for the two days of track action.

With two practice runs and a timed run completed before the lunch break, and a further three timed runs in the afternoon. It is the timed runs which are used for the Championship scores.

Stephen Owen driving the OMS 28 RPE, car#181, he shares with his wife Lynn. Both used grooved tyres all round on the first practice run, then on the second had grooved on the front and slicks on the rear before changing to slicks all round for the timed runs, due to the track conditions.

Carl Jackson driving his Honda S2000 car #86, who was sharing his car with 2021 and 2022 Harewood Champion Adam Riley, car #786. Adam beat his old class record in 1C for Road cars, Series Production over 2000cc and 2 wheel drive.

David Tatham driving his DJ Firehawk car #161 posted the Fastest Time of the Day (FTD).

Full timing and results for Saturday 05 August 2023 — Yorkshire Speed Hillclimb

Montague Burton Hillclimb

Sunday’s Montague Burton Hillclimb got underway with much better conditions on the track and the sun was even out but that didn’t last too long and the clouds rolled in for the rest of the day, though unlike yesterday it did not rain.

Two practice runs and a timed run was completed before the lunch break followed by three more timed runs in the afternoon.

2019 Champion Deryck Jones Junior competed in his dad’s Ford Escort Mk I RS2000 car#132, after his dad, Deryck Jones Senior had competed in the car on Saturday.



David Leach driving his Lotus Elise S1 car #119 leap frogs to the top of the Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship and now leads from Rob Spedding driving his Formula Ford Vector TF93K car#169 by 0.24 points.

With Jimmy Harris driving the family Van Diemen RF85 car #168 in third place. Jimmy shares the car with his father Paul.

Full timings and results for Sunday 06 August 2023 — Montague Burton Hillclimb

Championship results: Harewood Championship

David Tatham driving his DJ Firehawk car #161 posted the Fastest Time of the Day (FTD) and still leads in the FTD Championship, he has a 19 point lead (before dropped scores are taken into account) over Stephen Owen driving his OMS 28 RPE car #181 who has a 4 point lead over two drivers John Prickett and Shaun Crouch RBS 8A car#159 on 18 points.

John Prickett driving his Radical PR6, car #152, had a mechanical issue, so from his second practice run on Saturday, the two Practice runs on Sunday and all the timed runs on both days, shared the Westfield SEiW of Derek Leetham.

FTD Championship results: BARC Harewood FTD Award Series

Next event at Harewood Hill is the Summer Championship which takes place on Sunday 27^th  August. This is the only event of the year, which we will see not only four wheel competitors but also two and three wheels in the shape of motorbikes and motorbikewith side cars.

Many thanks to BARC Yorkshire centre for the opportunity to be track side and not forgetting all the Marshals, Medical teams and Darlington Rescue team without which the event could not have taken part.