Wednesday 23rd July 2014

East Coast Classic: Time For Tea?

It's like Goodwood but beside the sea in Scarborough ... so not really like Goodwood at all!

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A little while back we wrote about former Top Gear bike man Steve Berry's plan to revive the Oliver's Mount hill climb in Scarborough with a festival of cars and bikes taking on the 2.5-mile road course. At the time of writing Oliver's Mount was Britain's last remaining street circuit - since then of course we've had confirmation that closed road motorsport will again be possible in the UK without having to ask for act of parliament.

No doubt plans are being hatched as we speak but Berry's drive to create a distinctively northern alternative to a certain Sussex-based classic motorsport franchise is one to celebrate and with the event scheduled for September 21 the organisers have shot a little promo vid to help rally support. There's a landing page for the event too but not too much to go on yet - we'll keep you posted but in the meantime here's the teaser/recruitment video.

Promo vid here

Lead photo: Michael Ward

[gaz9185]

Brings back happy memories from the early 1950s when we could ride up from Ripon (5TR Royal Signals) and watch the aces riding in the motorcycle events. All gloriously informal, so hope any new event there will be the same (subject to 'elf n safetie' rules!) and not "twee" or a show pantomime as has a certain event become. Better not go over one of the steep drops off the track at the Mount..................

[chevronb37]

All over that. See you there!

[moribund]

This could be excellent. Although last time I was there was for the Roger Albert and I was very nearly squished by a rally car ...

[TNH]

Only an hour away so why not! Sounds good!

[GT3-RS]

clashes with the big 3 Day Porsche festival at Brands Hatch I think which is a shame as I'd of like to come to this

[dugsud]

I've spent many a happy day at Olivers Mount bike meetings over the years and often thought it would make a cracking venue for a classic weekend.

I hope this first event is successful and becomes a regular on the calender.

[ncs]

A few of us heading up from sunny South London for this, really looking forward to it.

Nick

[leedsutd1]

Did olivers mount used to be part of the Lombard RAC rally in the 80"s , a friend of mine at the time entered a Nissan 240z (Think it was that ) and a Astra GTE a couple of times

[hacksaw]

An hour and a bit down the road from me, family day out I think!

[zeb]

GT3-RS said:

clashes with the big 3 Day Porsche festival at Brands Hatch I think which is a shame as I'd of like to come to this

damn & blast....me too!

[Craikeybaby]

I'd almost given up on this - had booked hotel rooms in Scarborough after the initial announcement, then everything went quiet. So in glad to see an update - it should be a good weekend!

[Big Rumbly]

leedsutd1 said:

Did olivers mount used to be part of the Lombard RAC rally in the 80"s , a friend of mine at the time entered a Nissan 240z (Think it was that ) and a Astra GTE a couple of times

It sure did, remember it well

[firebird350]

leedsutd1 said:

Did olivers mount used to be part of the Lombard RAC rally in the 80"s , a friend of mine at the time entered a Nissan 240z (Think it was that ) and a Astra GTE a couple of times

Yes, indeed - goes way back. Here's a two-minute trailer for the 1975 RAC Rally featuring Roger Clark's Cossack Escort RS, Bjorn Waldegaard's Lancia Stratos plus a young Ari Vatanen - also driving an Escort RS - on the Oliver's Mount circuit.

Oh, and you've got to love World of Sport's Dickie Davies in his Captain James T. Kirk outfit!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PS71-Y-ry4

[MC Bodge]

It looks like Bathurst, but half the width:
Bike racing, on-board

[andyps]

A shame the date clashes with another hillclimb in Yorkshire - it is the final day of the Harewood speed Hillclimb championship so I will be there rather than Olivers Mount.

It certainly was a venue for the Lombard RAC Rally - I remember marshalling there many years ago, great venue to watch and certainly pretty narrow for cars, and not especially large for bikes. Hope it is a great event, just please choose a different weekend in future!

[Northerndubber]

Did anyone else notice the Top Gear Lada at 1.10?

[Craikeybaby]

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=277230...

It looks like this has now been postponed until the spring

[andyps]

Craikeybaby said:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=277230...

It looks like this has now been postponed until the spring

Still some good Motorsport in Yorkshire that day - Harewood hillclimb is on, both Saturday and Sunday