Yorkshire Speed and Montague Burton Trophy Hillclimb 

Harewood Hillclimb

7^th & 8^th August 2021

Report and Images by Chris Bannister

The BARC Yorkshire centre organized two events over the weekend of 7^th & 8^th August 2021 at Harewood Hill. For the Yorkshire Speed and Montague Burton Trophy Hillclimb, both meeting form part of the Harewood Championships.

This weekend would be the first time that spectators would be allowed to cheer drivers up the Yorkshire hill, since September 2019.

Though it was limited numbers and advance tickets only, all purchased online.

All drivers still had to complete and return all required documentation electronically days before the event and there was also limited access to the paddock office on both days.

For the first time since 2019, scrutineers would check ALL Competitors safety equipment (helmets, overalls, seat belts, Hans devices) prior to the events staring at 9:00 in the drivers paddock bay.

Yorkshire Speed Hillclimb

With a damp track on Saturday morning round seven got under way with 2 practice runs before the lunch break.

Competitors had up to three timed runs in the afternoon and it was in the third timed run that most competitors set the fastest times.

There were a small number of retirements during the day and several red flags which the Marshals sorted out in quick time.

Also joining the competitors from the Harewood Championship regulars would be a number of competitors from the Paul Matty sponsored Lotus Hillclimb Championship.

Saturday and Sunday saw the Lotus 7 car club and a class for Bugatti Owners Club (no Bugatti cars on the day) take on the challenge of the hill.

During the first practice run a sheep decided it wanted to take a closer look at the cars and managed to jump the fence, which brought out a red flag. The marshals managed to persuade it to go back into the adjoining field, before the event could restart.

All the sheep were moved into another field well away from the track, during the lunch break.

Timings and results for the Yorkshire Speed Hillclimb can be found here: Saturday 07 August 2021 — Yorkshire Speed Hillclimb

Montague Burton Trophy Hillclimb

On Sunday again joining the competitors from the Harewood Championship regulars would be a number of competitors from the Lotus 7 car club, driving many different models of the Caterham seven’s and two classes for Bugatti Owners Club, though again no Bugatti cars on the hill.

With some overnight heavy rain the track was a little damp in places for the competitors on Sundays morning, with two practice runs, before the lunch break.

With a number of showers throughout the day and the wind picking up in the afternoon it made for tricky conditions.

The track would be just about dry for one competitor and for the next could be damp but thankfully the rain was nothing like, what had been forecast and nothing like we had back in July for the British Championship meeting.

You can read that report as see the pictures of the biblical like rain here Harewood Championship’s Round Five.

The marshals were kept busy throughout the afternoon timed runs, with red flag, after red flag but somehow most competitors got three timed runs in the afternoon.

Adam Riley in his Honda S2000 car #95 still leads the championship from Chris Berrisford driving his Subaru Impreza car #114.

Liam Booth driving his Peugeot 205 Gti, car #94 moves up to third and Nick Mitchell driving a Peugeot 205 Rallye, car #67, drops down to fourth.

Fastest Time of the day (FTD) Championship. Championship standings can be found here.

The BARC Yorkshire Centre next event for the 2021 season is the Summer Championship Hillclimb meeting which will be held on Sunday 29^th August.

This will be a slightly different event when not only will we have four wheel competitors but two and three wheels with the motorbikes and sidecars taking on the Harewood Hillclimb.

Many thanks to BARC Yorkshire Centre at Harewood Hill and not forgetting all the Marshals, Medical, Rescue teams including Darlington Motor Club Rescue without which the event could not take part.