Hillclimbing

[F1boat]

Recently, on youtube I have caught some fascinating videos of very powerful racing cars going on a climd roads. Thus I discovered the hillclimbing as motorsport (in Bulgaria we have something similar, but only with rally cars). What's your opinion of this motorsport and do you know any place in which I can download more hillclimbing races?

[Mark]

One of the first motorsports in the UK! And the first that Murray Walker commentated on!

http://www.shelsley-walsh.co.uk/ this is one of the best known venues.

[F1boat]

Its facinating when they drive open-wheelers or a very narrow roads. I have not see this site, Mark, thank you!

[MrJan]

It's quite common over here as it's one of the cheapest ways you can take part in motorsport. I've been entering a few sprints (like hillclimbing but on the flat at venues like Karting tracks or old airfields) and have done one hillclimb a few times.

The national series over here is quite hotly contested and the cars are serious machines with amazing power and low weight. Their website is at http://top12runoff.co.uk Below that level it's open to virtually any car you want. I've seen people competing in MG ZT estate cars, VW Lupo diesels and even a guy in a £500 Kia Pride.

There are two venues within about 30 minutes of me, one is Wiscombe Park (it's been used for years and is part of the national championship) and the other is Mamhead (recently resurrected and the one that I've competed at). We were thinking about entering Wiscombe but is has a bit of a reputation of being very, very difficult. Over the 20 years that I've been watching there I think that I've seen someone wreck their car on every corner, this video is an example of what happens when it really goes wrong (driver was okay after this)

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[F1boat]

That was a crazy crash! I have to ask you, since you have participated in shuch events, aren't there some checks whether drivers are ready for such race, if it is open to amateurs? It seems very interesting form of motorsports. I have watched videos from Britain and continental Europe, there were some absolutely, totally amazing drives...
Also, how dangerous is hillclimbing? Seems a lot to me. And how a race actually goes?

[Mark]

I haven't been to an event, but it's more akin to rallying really, where the aim is to set the fastest time over a particular course.

[MrJan]

You have to have an MSA (Motor Sports Assosciation) license to participate (fairly cheap though), I forget what's involved but there are questions regarding health when you apply for that. The cars will be checked for safety before each event and also have to follow certain regulations depending on what class they're in. Drivers also have to wear fire proof overalls and helmet. It's not really any more dangerous than any other event, you don't have other cars around you (like in circuit racing) and you will know the course (unlike rallying). Also the tracks are so narrow and tight that speeds are quite low. At the top level it's more dangerous but I can't recall the last time that I've seen a really bad crash, in fact the last hillclimb I did had over 500 runs without any either crashing or breaking down. Crashes like the one I showed are (thankfully) very rare

You race against the clock, like with rallying, and the format will depend on the event and the organisers. At a typical event like Wiscombe you would have 2 practice runs in the morning (you can find out your time but it doesn't count towards anything) and then 2 timed runs in the afternoon, but its only your fastest timed run that counts. Cars run individually but often one car will start before the other finishes the course.

You have to remember that the majority of motorsport is amateur in this country, very few people do it for any other reason than they enjoy it.

This video shows the types of different car that can compete, all are in different classes though based on engine size and how modified they are.
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[F1boat]

Barry, thank you very much for the information and the wonderful video! Sounds like a great form of motorsport...

[inimitablestoo]

From what I understand, our hillclimbs are a lot shorter (completion times are usually under a minute for the fastest cars) than on the continent. I've been to the Bouley Bay hillclimb in Jersey and it's pretty cool to watch - quite a demanding course there, and all on public roads! As far as safety is concerned, I think I'm right in saying the last fatality on a British Hillclimb round was in 1995, and most accidents tend to be more damaging to the cars than their drivers (certainly, it's no worse than any other modern form of the sport).

Oh yes, and there is of course Pikes Peak in America. Although that doesn't really bear comparison to any other hillclimb. Everything's bigger over there...

[MrJan]

Yeah our hillclimbs tend to be quite short, usually limited to being run on the driveways to stately homes. Mamhead in particular is really short, the FTD (fastest time of day) is usually as low as 20 seconds and even in our slow old car I managed under 26 seconds. The payoff from such a short hill is that you get more running time, we managed 2 practices, 4 timed and a charity 'fun run'.

I know that in the channel islands it's longer, as are hillclimbs in continental Europe (they're much closer to being a whole rally stage) and even Ireland.

This is one of my favourite videos on the internet. It's from Knockalla in Ireland which, as far as I can tell, is a stage in one of the rallies over there (possibly Donegal, my Irish geography is shocking). Anyway the guy is a nutter, a real credit to motorsport :D
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[F1boat]

Another awesome video... although for me it's most fun to watch open wheelers on narrow roads! But hillclimbing remains very cool!

[MrMetro]

Hillclimbing is a cool motorsport. My Uncle and his mate are buying a old open-wheel car to compete in. One of the great things about hillclimbing is that you see a good variety of cars :)

[F1boat]

Yes, this is true. Different cars from different series and sometimes different times...