Some of the quickest cars and drivers in the UK are about to be let loose for the second half of the British Hillclimb Championship Presented by Nova Motorsport. The Channel Island double header hosts four decisive rounds that make or break a championship campaign – as you start to see who could be lifting the trophy and carrying the number one on the car the following year after a good tour in the most southerly part of the British Isles. Jersey is first up with the fiercely steep amphitheatre that is Bouley Bay on Tuesday and the fast and flowing Val de Terres hill in Guernsey on Saturday.

Single-seaters with up to 700bhp will be unleashed on the closed public roads, when F1 meets garden path for an exciting, thrilling combination. So who will be King of the hills? With 40 points up for grabs – We take a look at who will be eyeing up the points from the island visits.

Defending Champion Matt Ryder has bever won a round in the Channel Islands, despite loving the two hills. The Gould GR59J driver who has won nine rounds this year, wont be sharing the car with owner Sean Gould this week – so the number one seed will be able to dial the fearsome four-litre machine to his liking completely. We tip Bouley Bay to be the location of the Englishman to break his Channel Island duck. Watch this space!

Ryder’s closest opposition this season is four-time British Champion Wallace Menzies – who is back for a full season and eager to claim his fifth title and snatch back the number one spot in the process. The Gould GR59M is perhaps the most state of the art hill climbing car in the country today, and in the hands of Menzies – will be explosive to watch in both Jersey and Guernsey. The Flying Scotsman knows how to do the business across the water having sealed 10 previous run off wins on previous visits – six in Jersey and four in Guernsey. Watch out too for Nicola Menzies who be eyeing further points to add to her previous Channel Island forays.

Trevor Willis is the ‘Wizard of Bouley Bay’ – there is something about Bouley Bay and Trevor Willis that just clicks. The OMS 28 might be an older car and unable to keep tabs on the newer Gould machinery on the faster UK hills, but at Bouley Bay – Willis is a major force and still holds the record nine years on. His 10 wins, 26 podiums and points scoring rate of over 90% makes him the man to beat. Will he lower the record – that will be a challenge. Can he win a round – absolutely.

Will Hall is one of the best drivers to have never lifted the BHC title. The Gould driver on his day is almost untouchable and with two wins already this year at Doune and Prescott – Hall is the person looking to extract the most from this double-header – eyeing the biggest points haul from both Jersey and Guernsey. Having won on both hills, he along with Menzies are the most rounded and can adapt to both closed road challenges..

Dave Uren is a man yet to win a Channel Island run-off, but in the right conditions could well be fighting for one if everything falls into place for the Gould driver. Scott and Emma Rayson in their little one-litre Empire will be praying for wet conditions to make it a level playing field, as will Nigel Pitt in his OMS and Darren Gumbley and Paul Jones in their shared 1600cc Force.

Jersey hopes will be carried by Michael Salmon in his two-litre OMS CF04. The local driver has been the fastest driver of the day on local events over the last few years and is ready to step-up against UK opposition. Salmon qualified last year but missed out on a point by six hundredths of a second. Can the first local points be claimed after a six year wait? This is the man to do it.

Jeremy Phillips was the last Jersey driver to score on home soil back in 2019 in his massive 6.2-litre Gould GR37, and could well throw his hat into the ring if it’s dry. As could Michael’s brother Alex – who is sharing the beastly Gould with Phillips, as he prepares to battle his brother and for his first point on his first BHC round in a top car with a great deal of enthusiasm.

Glyn Moignard will also be eyeing his first BHC points in his 1600cc OMS while Father Barry Moignard – who has been campaigning a V8 Skoda for over 30 years jumps into a OMS single-seater – with locals looking forward to seeing how he gets on, on his first attempt.

Andy Bougourd and Nick Saunders are the two favourites from Guernsey. Both will be using Bouley Bay as warm-up to their home hill Val de Terres, where both will be working towards big points hauls – taking away points from the mainlanders, and in the right circumstances would challenge for a top five or even higher. Wouldn’t that be a treat for the home crowd!

The Jersey round at Bouley Bay will be held on a Tuesday for the first time with the first Channel Island leg on Tuesday 15h July, with the Guernsey round at Val des Terres on Saturday 19th July.

We wish everyone involved in the British Hillclimb Championship a safe and successful second half of the season.