Harewood Open Hillclimb & May Harewood Championship Hillclimb
Report by Chris Bannister of JCB Photography
8th - 9th May 2021
Once again, the BARC Yorkshire Centre’s first double header Hillclimb of the 2021 season weekend would be held behind closed doors.
The Harewood Open and May Harewood Championship meetings had to be held under the latest guidelines from both HM Government and Motorsport UK, meaning no spectators on the hillside.
The COVID-19 restrictions also affected the competitors taking part in the event, with each driver only allowed a maximum of two mechanics or helpers.
To further reduce contact everyone involved in the weekend had to complete and return all required documentation electronically well before the event.
All communications on the day with officials and scrutineers was to be by email, text message or telephone to also comply with the social distancing rules.
Even the race procedures have been changed to ensure everyone’s safety. For this event the start line system would revert to the regular procedure as opposed to the European start line practise.
This was used last year in a very limited number of events that were allowed to be run in 2020.
Saturdays weather forecast was for heavy rain which turned out to be spot on. This made for very challenging conditions not only on the track but also for the Marshals and the photographers capturing the action on the hill.
Because of the inclement weather the competitors only had two practice runs before an early lunch break was called and just two timed runs in the afternoon.
Sunday was much, much better to be trackside, the rain clouds were still hanging around but it stayed dry. The track was a little damp during the first practice but improved during the meeting.
This meant as well as the two practice runs, a timed run was squeezed in before the lunch break and three more timed runs in the afternoon.
Hillclimbs are popular events for drivers and in a normal year for spectators as well. Harewood always has a packed race card with well over a hundred cars in numerous different classes.
These can range from slightly modified road cars to full blown hillclimb monsters which were taking part on both days.
A number of Ferrari’s from the Ferrari’s Owners Club took part over the two days along with a handful of drivers from the British Hillclimb Championship who would join the regulars taking part in the Harewood Championship.
David Snelson in his F430 left it until the last run on Sunday to record a best of 65.85 seconds to take first place in the Ferrari class.
After the first three events in the Harewood Hillclimb Championship are now complete we are starting to see who the main contenders are. Adam Riley in the Honda S2000, car 53, sits in first place. He was in fine form, setting a new Class record on his final Sunday run.
Mark Teale in a Suzuki Swift GTi, car 29 also set a Class record time of 66.65 seconds at the meeting to take second in the championship with Jonathan Mounsey in his Mitsubishi Evo VI, car 75 now in third.
Front runner Damien Bradley driving the Ex Time Attack 700bhp Subaru Legacy suffering steering or suspension failure on Sunday during second practice. Unfortunately, the car was too badly damaged to continue.
In the Fastest Time of the Day Championship contenders Trevor Willis and Alex Summers did not take part.
However, Richard Spedding did in his GWR Raptor 2, car 4 who was third after the first round is now leading after taking two seconds and a third and beating his own 5D record in the process.
Wallace Menzies in the Gould GR59, car 1 lowered his own 5D class record in all of his timed runs but still sits in second and Sean Gould driving a Gould GR59BJ, car 7 is third.
The BARC Yorkshire Centre next event will be held over the weekend of 5th & 6th June. The Classic & Vintage Hillclimb takes place on the Saturday and is a non Harewood Championship event, and the Harewood Championship returns on the Sunday for the Jim Thomson Hillclimb.
Many thanks to BARC Yorkshire centre at Harewood Hill and not forgetting all the Marshals, Medical and Rescue teams without which the event could not take part.
Harewood Speed Hillclimb course track details and results.
The track is 1448 metres long.
The fastest cars can complete the course in under 50 seconds.
With top speeds in excess of 130 mph.
Hillclimb record is 47.81 set by Wallace Menzies driving a Gould GR59 on 07/07/2019.
Ladies Hill record is 53.03 set by Nicola Menzies driving a Gould GR55B on 07/07/2019.
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