Harewood Hillclimb this weekend Sat and Sun
Discussion
Weather looks good currently. Should be a good weekend with British Championship round on the Sunday. Both days sees practice in the morning followed by timed runs after lunch. Best slot likely to be midday onwards on Sunday for big single seater shoot outs., ( doing 0-100 in 4 ish seconds and hitting 145mph ish up the final straight ).
Weather still looking good. Sunday set to be hot and should be perfect for the BHC round. Not Harewood but this gives a feel for it iif you're not familiar and have nothing planned for Sunday https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYvihwYi4BE
There tomorrow; very much looking forward to seeing the big banger single seaters for the first time this year. I may have said this before ,but it bears repetition, don't spend all day at the top of the hill- it may have a panomaric view but it is too far from the track to get any real sense of speed, The start line is good and the exit of the first corner - Clarks- gives a very close view of just how insanely fast a 1000bhp/ton car can accelerate. As does midway between Chippies and Country , where one stands within 15 feet of very angry racing cars .
Good but could have improved things by combining the Saturday event - it is depressing to find a half empty paddock and the event all over by three-ish.How many families arrive at midday and feel shortchanged? When I marshalled there years ago the RAC round would get 200 entries with lots of sports cars and saloons before the big stuff. It added hugely to the atmosphere and offered a very full day- we'd finish well after 5 .
My other quibble was that none of the PA was working below Farmhouse.
But lots of seriously quick cars and in 40 odd years I have never seen anyone go quicker through Farmhouse than Spedding's GWR Raptor . Top 12 had a 4 -5 second spread which I think is far more than it used to be.
And if by any chance the morons who dropped piles of litter at Farmhouse read this- don't come back...
My other quibble was that none of the PA was working below Farmhouse.
But lots of seriously quick cars and in 40 odd years I have never seen anyone go quicker through Farmhouse than Spedding's GWR Raptor . Top 12 had a 4 -5 second spread which I think is far more than it used to be.
And if by any chance the morons who dropped piles of litter at Farmhouse read this- don't come back...
coppice said:
Good but could have improved things by combining the Saturday event - it is depressing to find a half empty paddock and the event all over by three-ish.How many families arrive at midday and feel shortchanged? When I marshalled there years ago the RAC round would get 200 entries with lots of sports cars and saloons before the big stuff. It added hugely to the atmosphere and offered a very full day- we'd finish well after 5 .
My other quibble was that none of the PA was working below Farmhouse.
But lots of seriously quick cars and in 40 odd years I have never seen anyone go quicker through Farmhouse than Spedding's GWR Raptor . Top 12 had a 4 -5 second spread which I think is far more than it used to be.
And if by any chance the morons who dropped piles of litter at Farmhouse read this- don't come back...
Interesting comments, hope the organisers read this from the spectator side along with the email I sent after Saturdays event from the lowly competitor side.My other quibble was that none of the PA was working below Farmhouse.
But lots of seriously quick cars and in 40 odd years I have never seen anyone go quicker through Farmhouse than Spedding's GWR Raptor . Top 12 had a 4 -5 second spread which I think is far more than it used to be.
And if by any chance the morons who dropped piles of litter at Farmhouse read this- don't come back...
Won't drag it through the mud here but I only entered the Saturday as the Sunday is usually taken up with the "National Championship" entrants. This time however a number of them were practicing on the Saturday, didn't rush forward to take their place at the start line and as a result the regulars only got two timed runs.
As I recall however, back in the 80's and 90's, (Roy Lane, ADO, Bolsover, Griffith, Thompson etc - yes I'm that old and first came to Harewood in around 1981 in a Clan Crusader) it sometimes did take place over two days but maybe numbers were restricted, I seem to recall not getting an entry on a number of occasions. Maybe it was slicker then, I don't know, but there seems to be a lot of delays nowerdays which to my mind reduces it's interest as a spectator sport. People don't want to stand around for ages between runs and I think that affects the number of spectators, there is a photo on the Facebook page of the hill in the 60's and it's crowded.
coppice said:
Good but could have improved things by combining the Saturday event - it is depressing to find a half empty paddock and the event all over by three-ish.How many families arrive at midday and feel shortchanged? When I marshalled there years ago the RAC round would get 200 entries with lots of sports cars and saloons before the big stuff. It added hugely to the atmosphere and offered a very full day- we'd finish well after 5 .
My other quibble was that none of the PA was working below Farmhouse.
But lots of seriously quick cars and in 40 odd years I have never seen anyone go quicker through Farmhouse than Spedding's GWR Raptor . Top 12 had a 4 -5 second spread which I think is far more than it used to be.
And if by any chance the morons who dropped piles of litter at Farmhouse read this- don't come back...
My other quibble was that none of the PA was working below Farmhouse.
But lots of seriously quick cars and in 40 odd years I have never seen anyone go quicker through Farmhouse than Spedding's GWR Raptor . Top 12 had a 4 -5 second spread which I think is far more than it used to be.
And if by any chance the morons who dropped piles of litter at Farmhouse read this- don't come back...
This seems very disappointing, i also recall a number of years ago Harewood being very busy, and runs going on well past 5pm on a sunday, and the paddock being so full of cars they had to use the field on the road in.
But i can only think this is a sign of the times:
-Money is tight, and motosport (of any type) costs are high
-Dont think Jo public want to pay much to see things any more
-Not sure its very well advertised, and could easily be marketed better given internet and social media
-Maybe they should do a pistonheads feature?
I think most car enthusiasts are now more concerned with keeping their road car 'on the road' and in top condition (classics to retain values) as opposed to tuning it and driving to a hillclimb, or having a 2nd car for racing (classic or modern) and a tow car to trailer it to an event.
I was chatting to a friend of mine only Thursday night at a car meet and he used to compete for a good few years in a tuned '68 mini cooper s, and he said its just too expensive to remain competitive and the costs of tuning and maintaining now out-way any benefits.
Younger (anyone under 35) car enthusiasts simply no doubt dont have the money to get involved these days.
Shame, as me and my dad and my mates have had many good summer Sundays watching cars @ harewood, lovely venue.
Andy
It isn't money so much as organisation- there were enough cars over the weekend for a full day on Sunday and hillclimbing can be as cheap as chips. We can moan about lack of PR but I think every enthusiast should try to engage others to attend stuff like this - bigger crowds (not BTCC level - shudder ) tend to be good for all .
But, quibbling apart, a delightful day and not too much has changed since I first attended back in the days of Martin Brain , Peter Lawson, David Hepworth et al. Some drivers are still there - Jim Johnstone for one - and even some of the marshals are familiar- if slightly greyer...Bit like me.
But, quibbling apart, a delightful day and not too much has changed since I first attended back in the days of Martin Brain , Peter Lawson, David Hepworth et al. Some drivers are still there - Jim Johnstone for one - and even some of the marshals are familiar- if slightly greyer...Bit like me.
coppice said:
It isn't money so much as organisation- there were enough cars over the weekend for a full day on Sunday and hillclimbing can be as cheap as chips. We can moan about lack of PR but I think every enthusiast should try to engage others to attend stuff like this - bigger crowds (not BTCC level - shudder ) tend to be good for all .
But, quibbling apart, a delightful day and not too much has changed since I first attended back in the days of Martin Brain , Peter Lawson, David Hepworth et al. Some drivers are still there - Jim Johnstone for one - and even some of the marshals are familiar- if slightly greyer...Bit like me.
blumming eck, you must be (even) older than me...But, quibbling apart, a delightful day and not too much has changed since I first attended back in the days of Martin Brain , Peter Lawson, David Hepworth et al. Some drivers are still there - Jim Johnstone for one - and even some of the marshals are familiar- if slightly greyer...Bit like me.
Cheap as chips compared to circuit racing or stage rallies perhaps but £110 for 4 runs (2 x practice & 2x timed)?
Well- it's not pricey really. If you add in the spark of competition it isn't bad compared to a £250 track day. More time out on a TD perhaps , but unless you belong to the self delusional school of track day driving (and I am sure you don't ) it is not competitive and there is far more chance of hurting your car- or being hit by some idiot. Which can happen in a hillclimb paddock but only rarely on track. I say 'rarely ' as I note that someone was red flagged on Sunday as they were going to catch the sweet little Peugeot 104 - which, bless it, pulled 105 mph slower than Moran's car on the top straight ...
PS - see you had a Clan - snap. OPT 440J - smashing little car.
PS - see you had a Clan - snap. OPT 440J - smashing little car.
Harewood this weekend ; Saturday will be my annual chance to see the ultimate enthusiasts , the VSCC crowd . Often as bonkers as their cars and invariably charming too. Aero engined cars a special delight, as is the sound - and smell- of a supercharged car running on methanol . Highly recommended and an antidote to some more exalted branches of motor sport who take it all too seriously.
Modern stuff on Sunday- could be I have to go both days....
Modern stuff on Sunday- could be I have to go both days....
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