Hillclimbing anyoen here partake?
Discussion
As above, do it!
There's a couple of recent threads on here which have plenty of good advice.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Praying for decent weather this weekend, the mighty Panda is having a run at Gurston on Saturday.
There's a couple of recent threads on here which have plenty of good advice.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Praying for decent weather this weekend, the mighty Panda is having a run at Gurston on Saturday.
Thoroughly recommend it. I started off doing Hillclimbs and sprints back in the late 70’s, apart from the driving which is great fun, the Atmosphere and general camaraderie at Hillclimbs is better than any other form of motorsport I have done, which includes racing and rallying.
Ok, you might not get long in the car, and £ / mile its Very expensive, but then again you do not need to spend much on a car to compete, and the wear and tear / season is minimal.
Trying to find that last elusive Tenth or so, can be Very intoxicating, and due to the accurate timing and small distances involved, it’s a Very good discipline to learn how to loose / gain time.
Gurston, IMO is not one of my favourite Climbs, ok if you have Mega power, I think you would find places like Wiscombe, Prescott and Loton more fun, more technical to, not to mention Doune in Scotland, that is a rush
Enjoy.
Ok, you might not get long in the car, and £ / mile its Very expensive, but then again you do not need to spend much on a car to compete, and the wear and tear / season is minimal.
Trying to find that last elusive Tenth or so, can be Very intoxicating, and due to the accurate timing and small distances involved, it’s a Very good discipline to learn how to loose / gain time.
Gurston, IMO is not one of my favourite Climbs, ok if you have Mega power, I think you would find places like Wiscombe, Prescott and Loton more fun, more technical to, not to mention Doune in Scotland, that is a rush
Enjoy.
Join a local Motor Club, speak to them & they will give their time & advice freely.
Your first event will be nerve wracking but the buzz once you're there is worth it! I started out in 2010 after wanting to participate for over 20 years, best thing I've ever done.
As already said, the paddock atmosphere is great & fellow competitors always willing to help/advise, to the extent that my Clio was recovered from Wiscombe after blowing it's diff (thanks Steve, Martin, Simon & Andy!).
Costs are relatively low, be sensible & the risks are low as no other vehicles involved. Never done Gurston but the four venues I have done have all been great fun, Wiscombe is my favourite though.
Get out there & have some fun
Your first event will be nerve wracking but the buzz once you're there is worth it! I started out in 2010 after wanting to participate for over 20 years, best thing I've ever done.
As already said, the paddock atmosphere is great & fellow competitors always willing to help/advise, to the extent that my Clio was recovered from Wiscombe after blowing it's diff (thanks Steve, Martin, Simon & Andy!).
Costs are relatively low, be sensible & the risks are low as no other vehicles involved. Never done Gurston but the four venues I have done have all been great fun, Wiscombe is my favourite though.
Get out there & have some fun
Yep, done lots of hills and sprints over last 12 years.
you wont get a friendlier or more helpful bunch in the paddock, the guy most likely to help you mend your car after an off, is usually your greatest rival. After an oil fire i had a group of half a dozen fellow competitors repairing my car whilst i nipped off to a motor factors to get parts, can get better than that!
Costs are relative, entries £80-120 generally but for a short time on track. That doesnt imho detract, id rather hillclimb with the emphasis on 1/100ths of a second, than do 5hrs around a trackday (yawn!). Unlike circuit racing, the wear and tear is minimal, you wont spend the week before an event changing worn out pads, discs, etc etc and gearboxes and engiens last years not a couple of events (same mileage intervals).
You dont get to perfect the line for a corner unlike circuit racing, where you have a 30min qually and then a race to pound round. It does mean often takes a few events at a track to really get to know it.
many move onto circuit racing, a lot do both, and some just go back to hills/sprints. With circuits, often the hot starters are ex-hillclimbers as you soon learn to drive the car hard on cold tyres!
Hills cars are often more extreme, they are often more lightly built and have tiny fuel tanks and less kit too.
for me another huge advantage is that the only eeejit to wreck your car will be you! unlike circuits where your pride and joy can be wiped out by someone using you as a brake!
go try it, and enjoy :-)
if you fancy a trip up to one of the best hillclimbs in the country, on Saturday June 30th, Loton Park has its charity fun day, where for a small donation, you can get passenger rides up the hill in all manner of cars driven by loton members. In previous years members brought things ranging from Cossies, Vipers, GT40s, every model of Ferrari and Porsche and even a mad man driving a Mitsubishi Warrior pickup L200 !! (Roy Holder esq...). Great day out for kids and big kids alike
Craig
you wont get a friendlier or more helpful bunch in the paddock, the guy most likely to help you mend your car after an off, is usually your greatest rival. After an oil fire i had a group of half a dozen fellow competitors repairing my car whilst i nipped off to a motor factors to get parts, can get better than that!
Costs are relative, entries £80-120 generally but for a short time on track. That doesnt imho detract, id rather hillclimb with the emphasis on 1/100ths of a second, than do 5hrs around a trackday (yawn!). Unlike circuit racing, the wear and tear is minimal, you wont spend the week before an event changing worn out pads, discs, etc etc and gearboxes and engiens last years not a couple of events (same mileage intervals).
You dont get to perfect the line for a corner unlike circuit racing, where you have a 30min qually and then a race to pound round. It does mean often takes a few events at a track to really get to know it.
many move onto circuit racing, a lot do both, and some just go back to hills/sprints. With circuits, often the hot starters are ex-hillclimbers as you soon learn to drive the car hard on cold tyres!
Hills cars are often more extreme, they are often more lightly built and have tiny fuel tanks and less kit too.
for me another huge advantage is that the only eeejit to wreck your car will be you! unlike circuits where your pride and joy can be wiped out by someone using you as a brake!
go try it, and enjoy :-)
if you fancy a trip up to one of the best hillclimbs in the country, on Saturday June 30th, Loton Park has its charity fun day, where for a small donation, you can get passenger rides up the hill in all manner of cars driven by loton members. In previous years members brought things ranging from Cossies, Vipers, GT40s, every model of Ferrari and Porsche and even a mad man driving a Mitsubishi Warrior pickup L200 !! (Roy Holder esq...). Great day out for kids and big kids alike
Craig
Basingstoke to Wiscombe (my favorite venue) would be a pretty easy run. Also, you're not too far from this lot:
http://www.farnboroughdmc.org.uk/
They run a couple of sprints per year and it's a good club.
http://www.farnboroughdmc.org.uk/
They run a couple of sprints per year and it's a good club.
Forums | General Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff