Milestones should always be celebrated, especially ones of such magnitude. The British Automobile Racing Club South West Centre is holding its 400th meeting at the Gurston Down hillclimb this weekend (2nd August) – a tremendous achievement by the team based at the Salisbury venue.
Gurston Down is a unique venue on the hillclimbing calendar. As well as being known for its Karousel corner and Deer Leep yump – its one of only a few hills in the country that goes down before it starts to climb – a thrilling experience for the thousands of drivers and riders who have lined up for a timed run since its first event in 1967.
Gurston Down’s Press Officer, Tony Record picks up the story. “Tony Marsh, a multiple British Hillclimb Champion, was the inspiration and driving force behind the creation of Gurston Down. He managed to persuade the Hitchings family to allow him to design and build a course on Gurston Farm.”
“Our first event was held in July ‘67. The course is set at 1057 yards or 957 metres in length. It is narrow and fast at the beginning, before getting twistier at the top. The hill record has tumbled over the years as machinery and tyres have developed – with the current hill record being held by Alex Summers in his DJ Firestorm – stopping the clock at an eye watering 25.00 dead. That’s an average of over 85 miles per hour from a standing start!”
“The hill has become a firm favourite destination for many drivers across the country. Gurston has featured on the British Hillclimb Championship since 1971 and held 129 rounds of the British Championship and features once, sometimes twice in a typical calendar year.
“The team at Gurston Down are proud of their venue and the experience they offer. So much so, the BHC has awarded Gurston nine Norrie Galbraith Awards over the years – the honour bestowed to the best run and organised event in the British Hill Climb Championship each season. No other hill has achieved that many accolades.
The Marsh family, who were so instrumental at the beginning of the journey are still actively involved today with Tony’s sons, Peter and Simon – both hands on with the hill. Peter’s company Turbo Dynamics is the hill and championship sponsor at Gurston, while Simon is a tutor at our hillclimb drivers school.”
The 400th meeting on the 2nd of August is a full and packed affair with variety at every turn in the paddock. Over 130 cars will be present and 30 motorbikes will line-up for the latest round of the ACU Hillclimb championship.
“Reaching the 400th Hillclimb event at Gurston Down is a remarkable achievement and is testament to the dedication and passion of everyone involved at BARC South West,” enthused Ben Taylor, CEO British Automobile Racing Club.
“Gurston holds a unique place in BARC and British motorsport history, not just for its challenging course and picturesque setting, but for the community that has grown around it over nearly six decades. We’re incredibly proud of the team and what they’ve built, and we look forward to celebrating this milestone with competitors, volunteers and spectators this weekend.”
Gates open to spectators on Saturday at 08:15 with practice runs starting at 08:30. Competitive runs will then follow at around 13:00. Tickets are available on the gate. We look forward to welcoming you to the big 400 at Gurston Down this weekend.
