Category: Barc

The British Hillclimb Championship presented by Nova Motorsport delivered one of the most talked-about contests in hillclimbing history at Craigantlet earlier this month, and the drama continued back across the water at Harewood Hill in Yorkshire last weekend (10th May).

After lowering the Craigantlet record in Northern Ireland, Matt Ryder headed to Harewood with a spring in his step as the championship leader looked to continue that form at the longest hill on the British calendar.

In the opening run-off, round five of the series, it was Wallace Menzies who scooped the 10 points. The Flying Scotsman threaded his Gould up the 1,584-yard course quickest with a 47.11-second run to take his first run-off victory of the year – a confidence booster to get his title tilt back on course.

The reigning number two was pushed hard by the in-form and ultra-consistent Will Hall, who produced another electric performance to bag second place, just seven hundredths of a second behind. Matt Ryder – normally a regular in the podium tussle – suffered a disastrous run, with launch control gremlins affecting the #1 Gould and leaving him 12th in the top-12 shootout and, crucially, without points.

Ryder’s disappointment opened the door for another driver to take the final rostrum spot. Up stepped the evergreen Trevor Willis, who powered the OMS to third – his best result of the season. Alex Coles was another driver in top form as he secured another top-five run-off finish in his nimble Force in fourth.

Paul Haimes, fifth had endured a troubled start to his campaign but was pleased to bank crucial points ahead of Dave Uren in sixth, who confessed Harewood was a challenging hill. Will Hamer, Jonathan Varley and Harry Pick all gathered points in run-off one, while David Tatham collected his first point of the year in tenth. Stephen Owen and Matt Ryder were the unfortunate pair to miss out on points in the opening bout.

The second run-off brought the final action on Harewood Hill on Sunday afternoon.

Having resolved his earlier launch control woes, Matt Ryder went from zero points to hero in the second run-off. The Englishman channelled his earlier frustration to dip below the 47-second barrier – the only driver to do so across the run-offs – and claim the second set of 10 points.

The ever-consistent Will Hall was there in second once more. His brace of runner-up finishes puts him into the overall championship lead after Harewood. Wallace Menzies couldn’t quite repeat his earlier victory and settled for third, while a resurgent Paul Haimes finished equal fourth with Trevor Willis, ahead of Alex Coles in sixth.

Dave Uren, Jonathan Varley, David Tatham and Stephen Owen rounded out the points-paying positions – with Ben Hamer and Will Hamer – missing out this time.

The championship now enjoys a fortnight’s break before Gurston Down looms as the next challenge. The BARC South West event will take place across the weekend of 23–24 May. Who will emerge with the points haul on one of the most extreme hills in the country?

Next stop… Wiltshire.

The British Hillclimb Championship presented by Nova Motorsport delivered one of the most intense contests in hillclimbing history at Craigantlet on 3 May, where three drivers dipped under the hill record — with a new benchmark laid down on the Northern Irish course.

Matthew Ryder and Will Hall went toe-to-toe during the opening weekend at Prescott just six days earlier, and that rivalry continued across the Irish Sea for Rounds Three and Four on the daunting closed-road hillclimb course on the outskirts of Belfast.

With conditions perfect for the one-day meeting, sights were firmly set on the run-offs in the latter part of the afternoon, which were ultimately decided by the finest of margins as the leading contenders pushed the limits of commitment on the fast and unforgiving public road venue.

Ryder pips Hall in ultra-close Round Three

Round Three set the tone for the day with a remarkably tight finish at the top. Wallace Menzies was first to dip under the 39.12-second benchmark set by Scott Moran in 2016 and later equalled by Dave Uren in 2019 on the 1,300-yard course.

He found a turn of pace to lower the target to 39.03 seconds. However, the new hill record would stand for only a matter of seconds, as Matthew Ryder took to the road and etched his name into the history books with a 38.97-second run — becoming the first driver to break the 39-second barrier.

Will Hall, like his two rivals, also picked up a bonus point as he stormed to a 39.01-second run, leaving the top three covered by just six hundredths of a second.

A gap then opened to David Uren, who secured fourth with a 40.60s effort, while Trevor Willis rounded out the top five on 40.80s. Paul Haimes followed closely in sixth, narrowly ahead of Alex Coles, who was visiting the Northern Irish hill for the first time.

Further down the points, the ever-present David Warburton collected a handful of points, as did first-time scorers Dean Tighe and Gary Warren.

Even closer in Round Four as Ryder doubles up

If Round Three was close, Round Four somehow raised the bar even further.

Ryder again came out on top, this time lowering the benchmark to a blistering 38.60 seconds. Hall pushed him all the way once more but fell just 0.04 seconds short for the second time in succession, recording his first sub-39 run with a 38.64s effort.

Menzies again completed the podium, his 39.12s effort matching the previous record benchmark and reinforcing his consistency across the day.

Behind the front three, Willis moved up to fourth with a strong 40.35s, while Coles improved to fifth ahead of Haimes in sixth — both drivers continuing to bank valuable points in the fight for a top-eight championship finish in 2026.

Further down the order, Tighe, Warren and Warburton remained tightly grouped, separated by only a few tenths as the fight for points stayed fiercely competitive. Tighe, who became the first Australian to qualify for a run-off at Prescott, continued to impress at Craigantlet by scoring his first championship points in only his second event.

Aaron Colbourne completed the top ten, while Darren Gumbley and Uren — who failed to record a time in the second run-off following contact with the wall — rounded out the classification.

Early momentum building

With four rounds now complete, Ryder’s double victory provides a significant early boost in the championship standings. However, Hall’s back-to-back second-place finishes — each by the narrowest of margins — ensure the fight is far from settled.

Menzies’ pair of third-place finishes also keep him firmly in contention, forming a clear leading trio as the season begins to take shape.
The championship now moves on to Harewood next weekend (10 May), where momentum will continue to build. If Craigantlet is any indication, the 2026 title battle could be one of the closest in recent years.

The 2026 British Hillclimb Championship, presented by Nova Motorsport, burst into life last weekend (26/27 April) at Prescott Hillclimb for the opening two rounds of the series.

Glorious sunshine bathed the Gloucestershire venue, with quick times there for the taking right from the off. After a day of practice on Saturday, allowing competitors two runs to dial themselves into the new season, Sunday was where it all counted — with round one at lunchtime and the second coming in the early evening.

How it played out

All the way from Australia, Dean Tighe became the first Australian to make it into a BHC run-off. Running first, the former Australian champion set the benchmark for others to beat in his 1300cc Empire with a 39.23. The experienced David Warburton was next up and slashed that to 37.67. The times kept tumbling as 2015 champion Alex Summers dragged his 1100cc DJ Firehawk to a 37.61 — an impressive time that would see him high up the order.

Then, the big five were unleashed. Dave Uren (36.09) moved to the top, while Trevor Willis (36.13) slotted in just behind. Wallace Menzies was the first to dip under the 36-second barrier with a 35.65 in his Gould GR59. Reigning champion Matt Ryder produced a clinical run to snatch the lead just minutes later with a 35.29.

Will Hall, who qualified with the same time as Ryder, went last with the tension building. Could he repeat his run-off win of 12 months ago? Visor down, it was super smooth from the off. After 1,128 yards of climbing, three hundredths of a second made the difference. An exciting start to the year.

Elsewhere, fireworks were lit when Alex Coles took to the hill. The exciting Plymouth-based driver has more power at his disposal for 2026 and looked ready to giant-slay on run one — but a few scrappy moments left him in 10th, just enough to score the final point.

Jonathan Varley (GWR) and Harry Pick (OMS) were also delighted with their runs, bagging their first points of the season — both eager to secure a top-10 number in 2026. Sadly, Paul Haimes suffered a difficult weekend, with mechanical gremlins hitting his 1300cc turbocharged Gould, which limped its way to the top of the hill.

The final bout of the day

David Warburton, who produced a strong run in the first run-off, was the first driver to get the final shoot-out underway with a 38.10. Harry Pick went two hundredths slower just a few minutes later, while Jason Tunnicliffe — who qualified for his first run-off of the year — made a small mistake at Ettore’s, scrubbing off speed and losing time. The Empire driver had to settle for a 39.69.

Alex Summers produced more gold in run-off two, confirming a minimum of two championship points with a 37.77 to set the target time — albeit only briefly — before a reinvigorated Jonathan Varley went quicker by half a second.

The bigger cars came next, with Trevor Willis hustling his OMS to a 36.72 before Alex Coles, in the rapid Force, slotted into second behind the experienced Willis.

Paul Haimes was looking to salvage some points after being dogged by mechanical gremlins earlier in the day. Coming into Ettore’s, the Farnham-based driver lost the back end of his Gould as it rotated — ending with the rear of the car in the wall. Paul jumped out unscathed, but the course had to be cleared before proceedings could resume.

After a short delay, Dave Uren in the Gould GR55B was up next and, despite a slower start at the bottom of the hill, produced a pulsating run to snatch the lead from Willis with a 36.65.

Then came the top three. A pressure-cooker environment. The final runs of the day — who would leave Prescott with the bragging rights?

Matt Ryder stepped up first and beat Uren’s marker, lowering the time to beat to 35.41. Will Hall was next, and the Englishman gave it everything, leaving nothing on the table to record a 35.28.

All eyes then turned to four-time champion Wallace Menzies. The flying Scotsman wasn’t fully at one with his Gould but managed to wrestle his GR59 into another third-place finish.

Will Hall and Matt Ryder shared the spoils with a win and a second apiece. Hall left with the bragging rights, having been just one hundredth quicker than Ryder’s first run-off victory. He rounded out the weekend with a celebratory drive up the hill to great applause from marshals and spectators alike.

The next round of the series takes place this weekend, with a first trip overseas to Craigantlet for a one-day tussle on the closed-road course above Belfast on Saturday 2 May.

Photography kindly provided by Tom Gay Photography