Planning to watch first hill climb....but which one??
Discussion
Hi all,
me and my son are looking to attend our first hill climb as spectators this year but I have no idea where or when they are!
As i live in Norfolk there aren't any locally due to lack of hills. I don't mind a couple of hours of driving to get there and I'd like there to be a broad range of interesting metal to watch
Any suggestions would be welcome!
Thanks
Andy
me and my son are looking to attend our first hill climb as spectators this year but I have no idea where or when they are!
As i live in Norfolk there aren't any locally due to lack of hills. I don't mind a couple of hours of driving to get there and I'd like there to be a broad range of interesting metal to watch
Any suggestions would be welcome!
Thanks
Andy
My local one is Harewood hill climb. It's a few hours drive for you but is the longest hill climb in the country (apparently!) and the spectator viewing is brilliant.
Lots of homebrew specials are usually on show and the "proper" hill climb cars are brilliant.
Cheap entry (£10), access to all of the paddock, you can speak to the drivers etc.
I go pretty much every time it's on. Not been to any others (at the min) but i thoroughly recommend it.
Lots of homebrew specials are usually on show and the "proper" hill climb cars are brilliant.
Cheap entry (£10), access to all of the paddock, you can speak to the drivers etc.
I go pretty much every time it's on. Not been to any others (at the min) but i thoroughly recommend it.
Well in the tradition of suggesting your home hill - may I offer Shelsley Walsh in Worcestershire - which may be a bit of a trek for you if you don't want to make a weekend of it in all honesty, but I shall plug away regardless to any one else.
The club prattle on a bit about 'original course' and 'continuous use' but the nub of the issue is that it is the world's oldest racetrack. Been used since 1905 with naught but a little light resurfacing.
If you are aiming for a specific meeting I would suggest 'the big one' in August. They often try to attract a personality or manufacturer, for example last year was about Astons centenary, so there were plenty of Le Mans Astons as static displays with the Lola V12 running up the hill, as well as Tom Onslow Cole in the hydrogen Rapide N24 car.
The cars that complete range from barely modified road going Peugeot 106's to Impreza's and Caterhams, to the big single seater British Championship cars. The hill record is 22.6 seconds so they can get through a lot of runs in a day. If you stand half way up, you can see around 75% of the 1000 yard track, and all the interesting bits. You can spectate on every part of the course.
Having a pint in the bar, where everyone gathers after the meeting, and watching everyone pack away as the sub goes down is my very favourite place to be in motorsport (in a non racing sense) it feels exactly like club motorsport should.
There is also a thriving vintage scene and the VSCC meeting is excellent.
There is plenty of stuff on youtube of course, but it is also worth noting that if you can get to BBC iplayer before this Friday (24th?) - look at Father Brown, episode 10 (the laws of motion). Filmed in large part at Shelsley and gives a great view of cars on the whole track. Imagine that with modern downforce cars, faster to 100 than an F1 car and a big old crowd and you are about there.
[/thinly disguised pitch]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03q5vlj/Fath...
In fact you see basically everything before the opening titles!
Now you have your head around the course, I would draw your attention to the hill record of 23 seconds. That is an average speed of 85ish mph I think. They are going at around 130 mph when they brake into the first 90 degree left (known as bottom ess) before the 90 degree right (top ess). They are doing 150 mph over the line.
[/ok now I'm done]
The club prattle on a bit about 'original course' and 'continuous use' but the nub of the issue is that it is the world's oldest racetrack. Been used since 1905 with naught but a little light resurfacing.
If you are aiming for a specific meeting I would suggest 'the big one' in August. They often try to attract a personality or manufacturer, for example last year was about Astons centenary, so there were plenty of Le Mans Astons as static displays with the Lola V12 running up the hill, as well as Tom Onslow Cole in the hydrogen Rapide N24 car.
The cars that complete range from barely modified road going Peugeot 106's to Impreza's and Caterhams, to the big single seater British Championship cars. The hill record is 22.6 seconds so they can get through a lot of runs in a day. If you stand half way up, you can see around 75% of the 1000 yard track, and all the interesting bits. You can spectate on every part of the course.
Having a pint in the bar, where everyone gathers after the meeting, and watching everyone pack away as the sub goes down is my very favourite place to be in motorsport (in a non racing sense) it feels exactly like club motorsport should.
There is also a thriving vintage scene and the VSCC meeting is excellent.
There is plenty of stuff on youtube of course, but it is also worth noting that if you can get to BBC iplayer before this Friday (24th?) - look at Father Brown, episode 10 (the laws of motion). Filmed in large part at Shelsley and gives a great view of cars on the whole track. Imagine that with modern downforce cars, faster to 100 than an F1 car and a big old crowd and you are about there.
[/thinly disguised pitch]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03q5vlj/Fath...
In fact you see basically everything before the opening titles!
Now you have your head around the course, I would draw your attention to the hill record of 23 seconds. That is an average speed of 85ish mph I think. They are going at around 130 mph when they brake into the first 90 degree left (known as bottom ess) before the 90 degree right (top ess). They are doing 150 mph over the line.
[/ok now I'm done]
Edited by Vocal Minority on Tuesday 21st January 21:02
Prescott for me, it's certainly my favourite venue in a sport I've followed for years.
The first round in April (has been mentioned above) is certainly the one to be at. This year will certainly be a good season for hillclimbing with a good 3-4 drivers competing for the championship all in different chassis'.
The gap between the big V8s and the blown bike engines is getting closer every season, and the top 12 are often split by a second.
Not to mention the short wheel based Audi Quattros, and other crazy powerful saloons that'll appear over the course of the season.
The first round in April (has been mentioned above) is certainly the one to be at. This year will certainly be a good season for hillclimbing with a good 3-4 drivers competing for the championship all in different chassis'.
The gap between the big V8s and the blown bike engines is getting closer every season, and the top 12 are often split by a second.
Not to mention the short wheel based Audi Quattros, and other crazy powerful saloons that'll appear over the course of the season.
Never been to a bad hill climb venue yet so you will have a good day.But some advice- don't plan on arriving at 12 because that is when the Club website says it starts. Get there as early as you can ( 9am or earlier) then watch practice runs , wander paddock etc. Don't burden yourself with lots of stuff to carry round as that will make you stay in one place; like all motorsport it's better to keep on the move, Try different corners and don't forget the start line where burnouts are great fun to watch.
And - possibly controversially - I suggest you leave your camera at home or just take pics in practice . I cannot see the point of attending live motorsport events and then restrict yourself to seeing everything via a camera, and spending the rest of the time checking the pictures you have just taken.Watch with your eyes and your memory can do wonderful things.If you want great shots of hill climbs there are plenty on the interweb...
And - possibly controversially - I suggest you leave your camera at home or just take pics in practice . I cannot see the point of attending live motorsport events and then restrict yourself to seeing everything via a camera, and spending the rest of the time checking the pictures you have just taken.Watch with your eyes and your memory can do wonderful things.If you want great shots of hill climbs there are plenty on the interweb...
Both agree and disagree with the photography thing. I don't see the point in taking photos whilst the actual even is going on, but during practice is a great time for photography, it's also the best time to wander the paddock as it's a lot quieter.
Everyone in hillclimbing is friendly and will answer questions etc if they have time. I'm finally competing myself this year after contemplating it for a few years - so you may even see me about!
Everyone in hillclimbing is friendly and will answer questions etc if they have time. I'm finally competing myself this year after contemplating it for a few years - so you may even see me about!
Prescott:
Get there early for a big breakfast followed by wandering round the paddock & watching practice runs thru Orchard & Etores.
Have a pint of Prescott beer & a pasty for lunch in the newly refurbished clubhouse.
After lunch, walk up the hill to watch from the other side of the track.
As it's early in the season, you can see thru the trees which means you can see loads of action
Get there early for a big breakfast followed by wandering round the paddock & watching practice runs thru Orchard & Etores.
Have a pint of Prescott beer & a pasty for lunch in the newly refurbished clubhouse.
After lunch, walk up the hill to watch from the other side of the track.
As it's early in the season, you can see thru the trees which means you can see loads of action
I'm from Norfolk myself, so I know how you feel. It's the a"""hole of nowhere for some aspects of motorsport. All the events for this year's championship are on www.britishhillclimb,co.uk. The nearest county to Norfolk must be Yorkshire! Unless you fancy swimming to the Channel Islands or Ulster where I now live. You've got a long drive ahead, unless you can find a non-championship event somewhere - the weekly mags will have lists of events in the coming weeks.
chevronb37 said:
Sounds like I'm off to the Rechberg hillclimb in Austria in April. It's the Austrian round of the European Hillclimb Championship. Cannot wait!
Sounds fantastic.I watch the European stuff and some of their venues are amazing.
My 34 second runs at Shelsley are rather amateurish:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2Z1hYk3ltA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON2tQS77vtQ
Can you imagine what Hans Stuck thought when he came over to Shelsley with the Auto Union? After scaling Alpine passes it must've seemed so quaint.
I'm yet to sort everything for Rechberg, just had an invitation today - way too good to turn down. Cannot wait to see how the Europeans do things!
I'm yet to sort everything for Rechberg, just had an invitation today - way too good to turn down. Cannot wait to see how the Europeans do things!
chevronb37 said:
Can you imagine what Hans Stuck thought when he came over to Shelsley with the Auto Union? After scaling Alpine passes it must've seemed so quaint.
I'm yet to sort everything for Rechberg, just had an invitation today - way too good to turn down. Cannot wait to see how the Europeans do things!
You lucky bI'm yet to sort everything for Rechberg, just had an invitation today - way too good to turn down. Cannot wait to see how the Europeans do things!
d Andy.. 
Skylinecrazy said:
chevronb37 said:
Can you imagine what Hans Stuck thought when he came over to Shelsley with the Auto Union? After scaling Alpine passes it must've seemed so quaint.
I'm yet to sort everything for Rechberg, just had an invitation today - way too good to turn down. Cannot wait to see how the Europeans do things!
You lucky bI'm yet to sort everything for Rechberg, just had an invitation today - way too good to turn down. Cannot wait to see how the Europeans do things!
d Andy.. 
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