Hill climbing tips and advice
Discussion
Looking at doing this rather more seriously in the future, hopefully entering in one of the production class categories in the Woolbridge MC speed hillcimbing championship.
Rather invitingly there seems to be a road car class at Woolbridge MC speed hillclimb championship, aimed at novices hoping to get a taste of hill climbing without race prepping a car. All you need is a race suit and apperel, Helmet, Non race national b license, and a road legal car. Oh and a sticker on the ignition showing which way to turn it off!
And its this that Im looking at doing in the meanwhile as I get a proper car sorted.
Any tips for a perspective climber? Plan to be doing it a Wiscombe park, then hopefully moving on to the ASWMC in the future. Seems like a lot of people on here do it, so looking to take advantage of your experience!
Any advice would be great or any info that might be helpful, race preparers, costs, good venues and MC's in the south west ect.
Many thanks in advance!
Rather invitingly there seems to be a road car class at Woolbridge MC speed hillclimb championship, aimed at novices hoping to get a taste of hill climbing without race prepping a car. All you need is a race suit and apperel, Helmet, Non race national b license, and a road legal car. Oh and a sticker on the ignition showing which way to turn it off!
And its this that Im looking at doing in the meanwhile as I get a proper car sorted.
Any tips for a perspective climber? Plan to be doing it a Wiscombe park, then hopefully moving on to the ASWMC in the future. Seems like a lot of people on here do it, so looking to take advantage of your experience!
Any advice would be great or any info that might be helpful, race preparers, costs, good venues and MC's in the south west ect.
Many thanks in advance!
Starting in a standard car makes a lot of sense. You get to compete but also get to learn what's what. The only real way to get a feel of how it all works is to turn up and do it. Wiscombe is an excellent venue, Werrington is good if you like scaring yourself silly, Charmouth is quite new and seemingly tricky to master, Castle Hillcimb is definitely worth a go with a great last couple of bends. And of course there are also sprints too, though I haven't done any so have no advice on those!
A great selection of venues all within reasonable driving distance!
You'll soon be hooked!
Steve
A great selection of venues all within reasonable driving distance!
You'll soon be hooked!
Steve
Woolbridge MC is a great club and the class that you mention is a perfect starting point.
In the future, check out other series also as they may suit your car better. Many series include plenty of events in the SW. Check ACSMC, HSA and Midland Speed. Some of these also have classes for "standard" cars.
In the future, check out other series also as they may suit your car better. Many series include plenty of events in the SW. Check ACSMC, HSA and Midland Speed. Some of these also have classes for "standard" cars.
Edited by Dan Friel on Tuesday 13th March 08:05
wiscombe is a fairly intimidating place for a novice, those trees are very close and very solid...have a look at some sprints in the south west, there are a few run at airfields where there is a lot less to hit.
most championships/clubs run stnd production classes for novices in their own road cars which require no modifications bar a sticker by the key showing which way is off and which battery teriminal is the negative. sprints tend to be a bit longer to but neither could be considered value for money!
most championships/clubs run stnd production classes for novices in their own road cars which require no modifications bar a sticker by the key showing which way is off and which battery teriminal is the negative. sprints tend to be a bit longer to but neither could be considered value for money!
This will be my third season hillclimbing at Harewood. As has been stated there's always something to hit but in my case I quite like harewood as it feels fairly safe vs others that have large trees, grass bankings, tunnels of armco etc..which can only be a good thing, especially if just starting out. I went straight for a single seater just because thats where I wanted to end up as felt it offered something saloons/sports couldn't in terms of ultimate driving experience etc...Was initially a bit of a shock/learning curve and still some way to go but I certainly don't regret it as each event is a real rush and offers performance that you'll never experience in a tin top.
That said theres a lot to be said for going the other way and starting with a quick hatch or similar as you can get a feel for how you want to progress etc..
Best advice I can offer is whatever class you decide to enter at, buy a car with recent proven history and one that maxes out the class structure, i.e, if class structure is 1100 - 1600cc look at all the possible cars that could be entered and research which ones offer best performance within that structure. Power to weight ratio is probably best measure of a cars potential. Cc's and power aren't the be all and end all but if your giving away 500cc's to the next guy then you're already playing catch up.
Also check how well subscribed each class has been in recent years. The 600cc single seater class was dropped recently at Harewood because there weren't enough entries however my understanding is this class sees good turn outs in other corners of the country/hills. Ultimately a class with plenty of regular entries will be more fun to compete in than running in a class all on your own.
It's easy to get addicted and start blowing loads of cash on more grip, power, weight loss, downforce etc..so also worth considering this as may have a bearing on you car choice - a lot of the fun comes from this pursuit for tenths of seconds so a car that's renowned for it's tuning potential is a good idea. Alternitively do what I did and buy a car that's already quicker than might be ideal for a beginner - my thinking was that if I started off in a slower car/class then I would only have to go through the process of selling and buying a faster car once the need for speed takes over.
Other consideration is double driving. If you have a max budget of £4k then finding a mate that will commit same budget will see you with £8k thus opening up other options + the enjoyment of competing against each other, sharing development costs, laughing at each others mishaps etc..
Above all enjoy it - www.uphillracers.co.uk is a great site for all things hllclimbing whether newbie or maestro, Golf or Gould.
Good luck!
That said theres a lot to be said for going the other way and starting with a quick hatch or similar as you can get a feel for how you want to progress etc..
Best advice I can offer is whatever class you decide to enter at, buy a car with recent proven history and one that maxes out the class structure, i.e, if class structure is 1100 - 1600cc look at all the possible cars that could be entered and research which ones offer best performance within that structure. Power to weight ratio is probably best measure of a cars potential. Cc's and power aren't the be all and end all but if your giving away 500cc's to the next guy then you're already playing catch up.
Also check how well subscribed each class has been in recent years. The 600cc single seater class was dropped recently at Harewood because there weren't enough entries however my understanding is this class sees good turn outs in other corners of the country/hills. Ultimately a class with plenty of regular entries will be more fun to compete in than running in a class all on your own.
It's easy to get addicted and start blowing loads of cash on more grip, power, weight loss, downforce etc..so also worth considering this as may have a bearing on you car choice - a lot of the fun comes from this pursuit for tenths of seconds so a car that's renowned for it's tuning potential is a good idea. Alternitively do what I did and buy a car that's already quicker than might be ideal for a beginner - my thinking was that if I started off in a slower car/class then I would only have to go through the process of selling and buying a faster car once the need for speed takes over.
Other consideration is double driving. If you have a max budget of £4k then finding a mate that will commit same budget will see you with £8k thus opening up other options + the enjoyment of competing against each other, sharing development costs, laughing at each others mishaps etc..
Above all enjoy it - www.uphillracers.co.uk is a great site for all things hllclimbing whether newbie or maestro, Golf or Gould.
Good luck!
Thanks for the help and advice.
I was looking at the nearest places to my home rather than which ones are the least scary!
Ive looked for Charmouth hillclimb course, couldnt find much on the internet, I thought it might be wise to pick one venue for my first season, get some practise.
As for cars, I was hoping for RWD, so have been looking at mk2 mr2s, but they seem to be rather more expensive than I thought, at 1500, rather than under the 1000k for a good one.
Any advice for a car? I know small hatches are common like the 205 and even micras! But Id hoped for RWD as Ive said,I know that getting a cage fitted might be a problem in a lower coupe from my experience speaking to race preparers so thats something I could do with looking into.
Once I've got my teeth into it, Im sure I'll be hooked and hopefully enter the ASWMC Hillclimb championship if I can get the funds up!
If not you'll be seeing me in the road car series for a while until I get a car sorted!
Thanks for the help, Ill take a look into sprints as well, not crashing is always a bonus in your first season!
I was looking at the nearest places to my home rather than which ones are the least scary!
Ive looked for Charmouth hillclimb course, couldnt find much on the internet, I thought it might be wise to pick one venue for my first season, get some practise.
As for cars, I was hoping for RWD, so have been looking at mk2 mr2s, but they seem to be rather more expensive than I thought, at 1500, rather than under the 1000k for a good one.
Any advice for a car? I know small hatches are common like the 205 and even micras! But Id hoped for RWD as Ive said,I know that getting a cage fitted might be a problem in a lower coupe from my experience speaking to race preparers so thats something I could do with looking into.
Once I've got my teeth into it, Im sure I'll be hooked and hopefully enter the ASWMC Hillclimb championship if I can get the funds up!
If not you'll be seeing me in the road car series for a while until I get a car sorted!
Thanks for the help, Ill take a look into sprints as well, not crashing is always a bonus in your first season!
Fantuzzi said:
Any advice for a car? I know small hatches are common like the 205 and even micras! But Id hoped for RWD as Ive said,I know that getting a cage fitted might be a problem in a lower coupe from my experience speaking to race preparers so thats something I could do with looking into.
At sub £1k theres not a lot of RWD choice, unless you count Morris Marinas - but you should be able to get a sensible MX5 or an E30 or E36 Beemer.Keep it stock and run in a road class, and there's no need to cage it until you save up for other mods.
Kim
p.s. Having said that, I realised that I wouldn't want to run an open car without some kind of rollover protection, so I'd definately budget for that in an MX5.
Edmundo2 said:
This will be my third season hillclimbing at Harewood. As has been stated there's always something to hit but in my case I quite like harewood as it feels fairly safe vs others that have large trees, grass bankings, tunnels of armco etc..which can only be a good thing, especially if just starting out. I went straight for a single seater just because thats where I wanted to end up as felt it offered something saloons/sports couldn't in terms of ultimate driving experience etc...Was initially a bit of a shock/learning curve and still some way to go but I certainly don't regret it as each event is a real rush and offers performance that you'll never experience in a tin top.
That said theres a lot to be said for going the other way and starting with a quick hatch or similar as you can get a feel for how you want to progress etc..
Best advice I can offer is whatever class you decide to enter at, buy a car with recent proven history and one that maxes out the class structure, i.e, if class structure is 1100 - 1600cc look at all the possible cars that could be entered and research which ones offer best performance within that structure. Power to weight ratio is probably best measure of a cars potential. Cc's and power aren't the be all and end all but if your giving away 500cc's to the next guy then you're already playing catch up.
Also check how well subscribed each class has been in recent years. The 600cc single seater class was dropped recently at Harewood because there weren't enough entries however my understanding is this class sees good turn outs in other corners of the country/hills. Ultimately a class with plenty of regular entries will be more fun to compete in than running in a class all on your own.
It's easy to get addicted and start blowing loads of cash on more grip, power, weight loss, downforce etc..so also worth considering this as may have a bearing on you car choice - a lot of the fun comes from this pursuit for tenths of seconds so a car that's renowned for it's tuning potential is a good idea. Alternitively do what I did and buy a car that's already quicker than might be ideal for a beginner - my thinking was that if I started off in a slower car/class then I would only have to go through the process of selling and buying a faster car once the need for speed takes over.
Other consideration is double driving. If you have a max budget of £4k then finding a mate that will commit same budget will see you with £8k thus opening up other options + the enjoyment of competing against each other, sharing development costs, laughing at each others mishaps etc..
Above all enjoy it - www.uphillracers.co.uk is a great site for all things hllclimbing whether newbie or maestro, Golf or Gould.
Good luck!
Excellent advice. If you can't find a championship that you like where the class you would be in is well subscribed then you can still have fun and be competitive. Many championships use a target time system so you still have something to race against even if you are the only one in your class who turns up on the day. In my expirience this isn't as good as having "real" people to race against but it is better than just having a go with no real idea how well you are doing. It is much easier to buy a developed and proven car than to build and develop one yourself. There are a few clubs which have a "standard" class which means just that - you can't even have a performance air filter. Obviously this makes it cheaper but means that you need to choose the car carefully. Having said that I'm going to be competing in a target based standard class in my every day Boxster (which won't be terribly competitive) this year with Midland Speed Championship as I've just sold my hillclimb car and am waiting till we've moved house to buy a replacement. That said theres a lot to be said for going the other way and starting with a quick hatch or similar as you can get a feel for how you want to progress etc..
Best advice I can offer is whatever class you decide to enter at, buy a car with recent proven history and one that maxes out the class structure, i.e, if class structure is 1100 - 1600cc look at all the possible cars that could be entered and research which ones offer best performance within that structure. Power to weight ratio is probably best measure of a cars potential. Cc's and power aren't the be all and end all but if your giving away 500cc's to the next guy then you're already playing catch up.
Also check how well subscribed each class has been in recent years. The 600cc single seater class was dropped recently at Harewood because there weren't enough entries however my understanding is this class sees good turn outs in other corners of the country/hills. Ultimately a class with plenty of regular entries will be more fun to compete in than running in a class all on your own.
It's easy to get addicted and start blowing loads of cash on more grip, power, weight loss, downforce etc..so also worth considering this as may have a bearing on you car choice - a lot of the fun comes from this pursuit for tenths of seconds so a car that's renowned for it's tuning potential is a good idea. Alternitively do what I did and buy a car that's already quicker than might be ideal for a beginner - my thinking was that if I started off in a slower car/class then I would only have to go through the process of selling and buying a faster car once the need for speed takes over.
Other consideration is double driving. If you have a max budget of £4k then finding a mate that will commit same budget will see you with £8k thus opening up other options + the enjoyment of competing against each other, sharing development costs, laughing at each others mishaps etc..
Above all enjoy it - www.uphillracers.co.uk is a great site for all things hllclimbing whether newbie or maestro, Golf or Gould.
Good luck!
An MX5 has to be just about the right car if you want RWD, certainly if you're not too worried about being class competitive. Cheap and plenty of options for performance and safety kit (there are a number of easy to install roll bars).
The above link should be www.uphillracers.com
Looking forward to the season.
The above link should be www.uphillracers.com
Looking forward to the season.
Fantuzzi said:
Does any one know if I can enter in the road car class in all of the climbs for aswmc ?
I believe that only the Woolbridge MC run the "starter" class for bog standard road cars. However, there's no reason why you can't enter your road car in the ASWMC "Road Production" classes. That's what I'm doing.Dan Friel said:
I believe that only the Woolbridge MC run the "starter" class for bog standard road cars. However, there's no reason why you can't enter your road car in the ASWMC "Road Production" classes. That's what I'm doing.
I see, road production class still requires the MSA regs obviously, and I was looking for the standard road car class. Just hoping to do some different Hillclimbs while still in a standard car while I get a proper car sorted.Thanks Dan
Absolutely, there's no point spending big money up front. It takes ages to learn the hills (I've not even scratched the surface), so some learning in a standard car is a good way to start.
All the different regs and series can be very confusing. There are largely standardised now (it used to be worse). I've entered the ACSMC hillclimb series in the "standard" class upto 1600cc. The vast majority of the ACSMC events are actually in the SW, and even though I've entered a "standard" championship class with the ACSMC I have to enter "Road Production" classes at these SW events. So I get grouped with much faster kit, but at least I know what I should be aiming at.
To be honest, if competing in the SW, you don't really have to enter a championship. Just be a member of a local club and pick and choose the events that suit you. Just be aware that some events fill very fast.
Hope your plans take shape, and if you see a slow Panda 100HP at a hill near you, come and cheer me up!
All the different regs and series can be very confusing. There are largely standardised now (it used to be worse). I've entered the ACSMC hillclimb series in the "standard" class upto 1600cc. The vast majority of the ACSMC events are actually in the SW, and even though I've entered a "standard" championship class with the ACSMC I have to enter "Road Production" classes at these SW events. So I get grouped with much faster kit, but at least I know what I should be aiming at.
To be honest, if competing in the SW, you don't really have to enter a championship. Just be a member of a local club and pick and choose the events that suit you. Just be aware that some events fill very fast.
Hope your plans take shape, and if you see a slow Panda 100HP at a hill near you, come and cheer me up!
I would definitely visit a couple of events. Hillclimbs are a very relaxed affair (one of the appealling features) and everyone will be up for a chat.
I grew up very near Gurston Down and went many times when younger. Marshalled since 1994 (although not once at a hillclimb, bizarrely), had a chance to do hillclimbs / sprints in the early 00s and took the plunge. Steep learning curve and never did it properly, but I only ever went slower than my previous run on a single occasion. It can become very addictive. So after babies and time abroad it's time to give it another go.
It's not going to be for everyone, but definitely worth finding out for yourself.
I grew up very near Gurston Down and went many times when younger. Marshalled since 1994 (although not once at a hillclimb, bizarrely), had a chance to do hillclimbs / sprints in the early 00s and took the plunge. Steep learning curve and never did it properly, but I only ever went slower than my previous run on a single occasion. It can become very addictive. So after babies and time abroad it's time to give it another go.
It's not going to be for everyone, but definitely worth finding out for yourself.
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