How long is a typical sprint/hillclimb race?

How long is a typical sprint/hillclimb race?

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crofty1984

Original Poster:

16,234 posts

211 months

Monday 21st December 2009
quotequote all
Er, yep, that's just about what I want to know right there.
I really have no idea, but I hear it's a relatively cheap way of racing. I was thinking about having a go now and then in between ProdBMW races if the length/cost was worth it.

spdpug98

1,551 posts

229 months

Monday 21st December 2009
quotequote all
crofty1984 said:
Er, yep, that's just about what I want to know right there.
I really have no idea, but I hear it's a relatively cheap way of racing. I was thinking about having a go now and then in between ProdBMW races if the length/cost was worth it.
This is a good website to have a look at: http://www.hillclimbandsprint.co.uk/

I am also thinking of doing a few Hill Climbs in my MNR this year, if I can squeeze them in around racing in the MR2 series

CNHSS1

942 posts

224 months

Monday 21st December 2009
quotequote all
£70-£95 generally, and 30s to 1.5mins per run depending on venue and your car.
usually 2 practices, then lunchbreak, then 2-3 runs in the afternoon that count for position.
different discipline from circuits, less miles per quid, but thats not really the point.
worth having a go, not quote as sanitised as most UK circuits, tarmac width 1/3rd of a circuit, oh and did i mention they are usually lined with trees ;-) very exhilarating but short runs (you will have the shakes at the top!!)
CNH

Edited by CNHSS1 on Monday 21st December 09:39

anonymous-user

61 months

Monday 21st December 2009
quotequote all
crofty1984 said:
Er, yep, that's just about what I want to know right there.
I really have no idea, but I hear it's a relatively cheap way of racing. I was thinking about having a go now and then in between ProdBMW races if the length/cost was worth it.


you will get two practice and two timed runs so the shortest venues will probably yield about 3 minutes of competitive driving whereas the longest will be about 7 (all dependant on the car but thats an average)

dont start entering sprints and hillclimbs for value for money. even at the longest venues you will still only get about 6 minutes time in the seat in total, which for about £75-100 isnt very good BUT...... its fun, its a lot less stressful than racing, you can run a very basic car with only minor mods, you dont have to worry about the ego behind you deseprate to get past at any cost, the atmosphere in the paddock is nicer...

TVR_owner

3,349 posts

198 months

Monday 21st December 2009
quotequote all
pablo said:
Dont start entering sprints and hillclimbs for value for money. even at the longest venues you will still only get about 6 minutes time in the seat in total, which for about £75-100 isnt very good BUT...... its fun, its a lot less stressful than racing, you can run a very basic car with only minor mods, you dont have to worry about the ego behind you deseprate to get past at any cost, the atmosphere in the paddock is nicer...
Sprints and hillclimbs are not value for money.

Its fun, lots of standing around waiting. No less stressful than racing, don't see why they should differ - its a fun thing at most levels so if its stressful, maybe time to go fishing.

Egos....the most infalted egos I have ever come across in motorsport have been amongst the top runners in the British Hillclimb Championship.

I glad I was able to sponsor the events especially run for those elite competitors with my entry monies over the years. scratchchin

HiRich

3,337 posts

269 months

Monday 21st December 2009
quotequote all
TVR_owner said:
Sprints and hillclimbs are not value for money.
Not in terms of track time, but in terms of a day out it's a different matter.

British hills & sprints are all short - well under a mile and perhaps 40-60s in a 'normal' road legal car. More's the pity, as some of the classic European courses are up to 8 miles.

crofty1984

Original Poster:

16,234 posts

211 months

Monday 21st December 2009
quotequote all
HiRich said:
TVR_owner said:
Sprints and hillclimbs are not value for money.
Not in terms of track time, but in terms of a day out it's a different matter.

British hills & sprints are all short - well under a mile and perhaps 40-60s in a 'normal' road legal car. More's the pity, as some of the classic European courses are up to 8 miles.
I think that's how I'll see it TBH, not so much in track time per £, but £75 for a nice day out.
Thanks, Dan

chris_w

2,566 posts

266 months

Monday 21st December 2009
quotequote all
I always enjoyed the TWMC Goodwood 2-lapper when I was sprinting, not sure if it's going to happen this year but probably the longest run of any sprint or hillclimb in the UK, and fast too.

QED87

452 posts

213 months

Monday 21st December 2009
quotequote all
TVR_owner said:
Egos....the most infalted egos I have ever come across in motorsport have been amongst the top runners in the British Hillclimb Championship.

I glad I was able to sponsor the events especially run for those elite competitors with my entry monies over the years. scratchchin
Inflated ego's are everywhere old chap.. yes some of the Top 12 do like to boast but I'd say no more than any of the circuit boys and gals...in fact I'd say the FOC or POC are worse!

On the subject of your entry monies... I don't follow; all competitors pay the same entry fees, whether you're driving a TVR Mod Prod or a MP97 Judd. The run off's are only "free" if you've entered the championship to qualify and you've got one of the fastest 12 cars on the day.. this seems to be a mixture of the car/spec/driver talent!



lord summerisle

8,148 posts

232 months

Tuesday 22nd December 2009
quotequote all
as others have said - short runs on the hills - shortest i think is Shelsey Walsh - takes the top 12 lads n lasses about 23/24secs to get up... to Harewood at the longest at 1440yards about 40secs, Loton is shorter by 40yards or so, but alot twister and takes longer to get up - 44secs.

the sprints can vary from the likes of Aintree at 50secs to 2 laps of Anglesey.

onomatopoeia

3,486 posts

224 months

Tuesday 22nd December 2009
quotequote all
HiRich said:
British hills & sprints are all short - well under a mile and perhaps 40-60s in a 'normal' road legal car.
Our season opener at Castle Combe is a lap and 3/4, which is over three miles. Colerne is a little over 3000 yards (mile and 3/4).

Hillclimbs tend to be (a lot) shorter.

rgracin

601 posts

219 months

Tuesday 22nd December 2009
quotequote all
I reckon the longest will be Weathersfield. Takes some learning, which is difficult when you've not done it before.

Not sure if they still run there.

What Sprinting and Hill CLimbs loses out to on track time is made up (just about) by the competitve nature. You can have the top 4 or 5 runners in your class all within half a second of each other.

PJS917

1,194 posts

255 months

Thursday 24th December 2009
quotequote all
lord summerisle said:
as others have said - short runs on the hills - shortest i think is Shelsey Walsh - takes the top 12 lads n lasses about 23/24secs to get up... to Harewood at the longest at 1440yards about 40secs, Loton is shorter by 40yards or so, but alot twister and takes longer to get up - 44secs.

the sprints can vary from the likes of Aintree at 50secs to 2 laps of Anglesey.
The way around it is drive a slower car, as I do. I get about twice the value out of Harewood and Loton than the fast guys as it takes me twice as long to get up laughlaugh

Seriously with regards to track time, sprints and hills climbing is not good value but as an event it is better and more fun than any track day I have ever done. I could be out doing track days now but I would much rather wait for my first outing on the hill at the end of March.

I also find with the odd exception there are less ego's in hillclimb paddocks than on track days, but at the end of the day I just ignore pratts.

TVR_owner

3,349 posts

198 months

Thursday 24th December 2009
quotequote all
QED87 said:
TVR_owner said:
Egos....the most infalted egos I have ever come across in motorsport have been amongst the top runners in the British Hillclimb Championship.

I glad I was able to sponsor the events especially run for those elite competitors with my entry monies over the years. scratchchin
Inflated ego's are everywhere old chap.. yes some of the Top 12 do like to boast but I'd say no more than any of the circuit boys and gals...in fact I'd say the FOC or POC are worse!

On the subject of your entry monies... I don't follow; all competitors pay the same entry fees, whether you're driving a TVR Mod Prod or a MP97 Judd. The run off's are only "free" if you've entered the championship to qualify and you've got one of the fastest 12 cars on the day.. this seems to be a mixture of the car/spec/driver talent!
Probably just my litle hang up, but it wasn't about boasting, it's about the amount of actual event time these top competitors use out of everyone else's day - having paid the same fees. I would suggest their time from paddock to paddock - assuming the same waiting time on the way down to the start, would be 3x that of a normal competitor. That and little tricks like having to come back to the paddock to refuel if the one of these car has needed to abort its run....

In the years I spent hill climbing, I have lost count of the amount of times extra runs had been advised at an aevent only for time to be lost because of the pratting about the top boys spend during their scheduled runs.

Rant over smile

lord summerisle

8,148 posts

232 months

Friday 25th December 2009
quotequote all
but the usual bonus when the British Hillclimb event is on is that the meeting is spread over 2 days - so for the same entry fee. tho it still at least 2 practice runs on the Saturday (occasionally get in 3 or 4 like we did at Loton this year) plus the 2 timed runs/top 12 run offs on Sunday.

Tho at least one Harewood Nat A MSA event is run with Barbon Manor, so the BHC runs at Barbon on the saturday - fitting in 2 practice, 2 timed and 2 run offs, then they relocated to Harewood for Sunday.

So at harewood theres a nat b event on Saturday, and nat A event on Sunday - so you'll get 2 practice and at least 3 timed runs on the sat.

I've known meetings at Aintree where we have been able to fit 2 practice runs then at least 5 timed runs in during the afternoon - the start line guys keep going till no drivers are coming forward to take another run.

And i'll also +1 the social side of the hills/sprints - theres a small band of marshals who do each event, we get to know the drivers more than we do at circuits - and sometimes theres alot more crossover between drivers and marshals - theres some marshals who also compete at the odd event (the Clerk of the Course at Loton competes in a modified Smart fourtwo - with a 2ltr toyota engine!) and some drivers will also marshal - i've known quite a few who have marshaled on sunday after breaking the car on saturday.
And all gather at the bar at the end of the meeting.

The Real Stig

148 posts

179 months

Sunday 27th December 2009
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I'm interested in ramming my single seater into a tree, where would be the nearest place (northant's) and the best web site to join in and learn a bit?

lord summerisle

8,148 posts

232 months

Monday 28th December 2009
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the 3 midland hills would be your best bet - Loton Park (HDLCC.com) is the furthest away then Shelsey Walsh and Prescott

Trev450

6,426 posts

179 months

Monday 28th December 2009
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Also worth having a look here. http://www.hillclimbandsprint.co.uk/

The Real Stig

148 posts

179 months

Monday 28th December 2009
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Thanks guy's - have added addresses to my favorites
(when I get a min, I will take a proper look)

- would be nice to try a new challenge - was thinking about the idea of doing a bit of rally driving, but with out looking in to it I already guess that's gonna cost even more than circuit racing?

Trev450

6,426 posts

179 months

Tuesday 29th December 2009
quotequote all
The Real Stig said:
Thanks guy's - have added addresses to my favorites
(when I get a min, I will take a proper look)

- would be nice to try a new challenge - was thinking about the idea of doing a bit of rally driving, but with out looking in to it I already guess that's gonna cost even more than circuit racing?
No question about it. I used to do sealed surface rallying quite a number of years ago and it was very expensive back then. No form of motor sport is cheap, but sprints and hill climbs are among the least expensive.