Harewood Speed Hillclimb - the home of motorsport and motor racing in Yorkshire and the North of England
BARC Harewood Motor Racing hill climb - the UK's longest hill climb
Who can do it?
We have competitors from 18 to 81 year old (yes that's true) competing at Harewood.
Young Simon Green has just started competing in his Westfield and is obviously enjoying himself |
Whilst octogenarian Alan Staniforth is still competing in the Megapin race car |
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Photo © www.whatnonegatives.com |
Photo © www.srh-motorsport-photography.com |
We welcome women and men. It is not just a man's thing – some of our fastest competitors are women.
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Left is the 2006 Ladies champion Sarah Cordingley in the OMS she shares with father Dale. |
You don't need any previous motorsport experience either. You can of course bring along friends and family to help and support you. But whatever, you are bound to make many new friends.
To compete in motorsport events you need to be a member of a motor club. There are numerous clubs about. Harewood is the Yorkshire Centre of the British Automobile Racing Club and you can get membership from the BARC website at www.barc.net/membership/index.php. Club annual membership including Yorkshire Centre membership, is £45. For this you will be able to enter a large number of events, you will get a copy of the centre magazine the Times, Startline the BARC magazine and reduced event entry fees at Harewood.
To enter any recognised motorsport event you will need an MSA (Motor Sports Association) licence. There are a number of different licence types. For most sprints and hill climbs you only need a National B licence (Non-Race is fine). This costs around £34 a year.
You can download a licence application form and other details at www.msauk.org
Along with your licence you will get an MSA Competitors Yearbook – ‘the Blue Book'. This is the bible on motorsport rules. You will need to read this to understand what you can and can't do. It also lists all clubs and their contacts.
You can enter almost any kind of car from road going hatchback to a full blown racer.
Cars are grouped in to classes at each event. Depending on what type of car e.g. saloon, race car etc, what modifications have been made (if any), the tyres used and the engine size, these points will dictate which class you should enter. Event regulations booklets explain what the classes are. If in doubt contact the Competition or Entries Secretary for the meeting.
Again the Blue Book is a good source of the rules, along with the event Regulations booklet.
At the start of each event a scrutineer will examine your car to make sure its safe and complies with the class in which you are entered.
Your car will need to have a vertical timing strut fixed on the front (see the Blue Book for specification).
You will need a helmet meeting the MSA's minimum standard. This is currently BS 6658-85 Type A (blue sticker). Check the Blue Book for latest details, but buy the best you can afford – you only have one head, so protect it. At your first event you will need an MSA helmet sticker from the scrutineer (cost £1). At each event the scrutineer will check your race helmet for condition and that it is of the correct standard.
You will need a set of fire resistant race overalls too. These are available from a number of race specialist shops and via mail order. The Blue Book lists the approved standards for race overalls and the scrutineer will check them at the start of each event.
You will need to contact the Entries Secretary of the meetings in which you are interested or check out that club's website. BARC Yorkshire regulations and entry forms can be downloaded from www.harewoodhill.co.uk/HwoodEvents/entryforms.htm .
Entry fees vary depending on the venue. Often clubs offer a discount to its own members.
Take care when you complete the entry form and fill in all the information requested, if you don't it will probably be sent back to you.
All events have a minimum and maximum number of entries. Popular venues are often oversubscribed, so get your entry off in good time, well before the closing date.
The MSA's website lists all events under the Fixtures menu. For links to other hill climb venues you can check out our link www.harewoodhill.co.uk/hwoodspeedhillclimb/other_venues.htm .
Consider attending a hill climb driving school, this will help you get the correct lines through the corners and the right braking points. Have a look at the Harewood Driving School on the website for further details www.harewoodhill.co.uk/HwoodEvents/drivingschool.htm .
Photo © Dale Cordingley
About a week before the event you will get the ‘Final Instructions' through the post. Read these carefully. They will tell you where the event is, what time you need to be there to ‘Sign on' and what time you will be scrutineered. The FI's also list all the competitors, what class you are in and give your competition number.
Before your first event go to one of the many events and see what happens. Talk to competitors with similar cars to yours and ask as many questions as you like ….. we have all been there in the past.
Turn up in good time and park in your allocated slot.
Photo © Dale Cordingley
Do walk the hill climb course to see where it goes. If possible get an experience driver to talk you round the course. Look at corners from the height of your car seat, it will look different to when you are standing up.
Bring you club membership card, you competition licence (inc photo) and any commentary sheet fully completed to the paddock office.
Get your overalls and helmet ready. Put your race numbers on the car (you can buy 9” race numbers in packs for about £12 from race specialist shops and also at some venues e.g. Harewood). A scrutineer will usually visit you in your paddock place, so don't wander off! Once successfully checked you will be given a sticker to display on your car.
Meetings can vary, but expect two practice runs. These are timed, but do not form part of the overall result. Use them as practice and avoid throwing the car off the track, no one will be impressed! You will then get two or three competitive runs, which do count towards the overall results.
Listen out for paddock announcements. They will warn you when you will be called out. Get yourself ready so that you are not in a last minute rush. You will be called to the start in classes or batches. Drive carefully to the start, you don't want to be excluded before you start for driving dangerously in the paddock!
When you get to the start you will be called forward and manoeuvred in to position by the marshals. The traffic light will be on red. When it changes to green you start in your own time i.e. don't try to anticipate the light and blast off! The timing starts as you move forward and break the beam.
Photo © Dale Cordingley
You are now on your first run.
Take it easy and learn the course. The only things to stop you completing your run will be a marshal waving a red flag at you or red light from one of the various marshal posts or a problem with your car. If you see a red flag being waved or red light, you must stop in a controlled way and then obey the marshal's instructions. If you are red-flagged and you have not caused the incident, you will be offered a re-run – in these cases follow the marshal's instructions.
Photo © www.whatnonegatives.com
At the finish of the hill climb there will be a chequered board or flag and a white finish line. Slow down after you cross the line and return at walking pace to you paddock place.
You time will be shown on a display board near the finish and results will be posted or displayed near the office. A number of events also provide ‘split times' which show how long it took you to complete each sector. This will show how you have done and how the other competitors have faired.
The prize-giving will take place soon after the competition has finished. The Chairman will expect the driver who achieves the fastest time of the day to say a few words after collecting his or her trophy, so if you are in this happy position, be prepared!
About a week after each event you will get a full copy of the event results. These are also often loaded on to the club's website.
There are some key points to consider if you wish to take up Hillclimbing or Sprinting on this document
Note: The above is given as a guide and in good faith. You should check the Blue Book and event regulations yourself and make sure you comply with all details.
One of our regular competitors, Phil Short along with photographer Steve Wilkinson, has produced a book - Hillclimbing and Sprinting: The Essential Manual which explains how to get into the sport, how to develop when you are involved, with many useful tips on techniques and advice on cars, preparation, trailers, championships, marshalling and much more. Basically, if you are thinking of taking up this branch of motorsport this book tells you how.
The book includes course notes for 20 of the most popular courses in the country (including Harewood!) as well as history and people stories plus a comprehensive reference section.
The book, with 112 pages, 150 colour photos is available for £17.99, plus P & P from:
Veloce Publishing Ltd
33 Trinity Street
Dorchester
Dorset
DT1 1TT
01305 260068
or from the author - email Phil Short or call 01943 607630 for details
Signed copies of this book will be available for sale at most Harewood meetings during 2008.
Also available through specialist bookshops.
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