Bodiam hill climb

[ben240z]

Did you race there?
Have you any memories of the place?
Have you any photos from the meetings there?
Anyone remember Ken Davis in a mini?

[Thundersports]

I'm not 100% about this but I think Simon Crook holds one of the records if not the outright record for this now defunct venue. I did mail him to see if he would come on here as Joe his son who is currently competing in Club F3 lurks here sometimes.

[Chris Townsend]

Ben

It's Bodiam! It was one of my favourite venues; felt more like a big country garden party than a motorsport event. I think I went for the last time in 1978, but I'm not sure how much longer it went on after that.
Doc Willoughby's F2 March used to be most impressive there.

Chris

[ben240z]

thanks for the replies. Thought that I had got away with my typo but hey ho. Which club ran the events?

[Chris Townsend]

Ben

It was a long time ago, but Hastings 1066 MC is somewhere in the memory

Chris

[Tim Barry]

I raced there once in (I think) 1979 in my FF1600 Wimhurst and won the class; Richard Thompson (?) was quickest overall, if my fading memory recalls. My brother then used the same car the following year I believe but not sure of the result, altho' I do have a picture of a very grassy moment! Must get back in the loft and dig out the results and pictures! Was a fun place and something different to do.

[ben240z]

Originally Posted by Tim Barry

I raced there once in (I think) 1979 in my FF1600 Wimhurst and won the class; Richard Thompson (?) was quickest overall, if my fading memory recalls. My brother then used the same car the following year I believe but not sure of the result, altho' I do have a picture of a very grassy moment! Must get back in the loft and dig out the results and pictures! Was a fun place and something different to do.

pictures would be wonderful. Thanks for the reply. ben

[kjw]

Bodium hill climb result 1972 with a Mr K Davis in a 1275 Mini Cooper S, Run by the Hastings 1066 East Sussex Car Club.

[Tim Barry]

Originally Posted by Tim Barry

I raced there once in (I think) 1979 in my FF1600 Wimhurst and won the class; Richard Thompson (?) was quickest overall, if my fading memory recalls. My brother then used the same car the following year I believe but not sure of the result, altho' I do have a picture of a very grassy moment! Must get back in the loft and dig out the results and pictures! Was a fun place and something different to do.

Finally found my 1979 season results! Have scanned the results sheets from Bodiam with my new and untried scanner so hope this works! Also, the results were printed on foolscap rather than A4 so some missing text mey be evident!

[Rupertlt1]

Tim,

Good work. The only thing I got wrong was the date. Here is what Autosport had to say - and I'm not sure now when this was published - (does anybody know? Page # etc.):

Controversy at
Bodiam

Trevor Stiles, driving his Formula Ford
1600 Crosslé, set BTD at the Bodiam
Hillclimb in Sussex on Saturday. His
time of 25.1s was 1sec outside Doc
Willoughby's record, which stands from
last year.
The meeting was the scene of con-
troversy over the eligibility of 'road going
cars' running on racing tyres, This led to
the exclusion of over 1300cc class winner
Ian Crammond (RS2000) and Deben-
hams Escort racer George Polley, who
finished fourth. Crammond, who was
protested by Graham Holmes (declared
the class winner after a stewards meet-
ing), has appealed and the matter will go
before an RAC Tribunal.
The class for road saloons up to
1300cc was won by Martin Kelly who,
despite running on slicks, was not af-
fected by the protest and retained his
class win.
Stiles beat A. Thompson's Brabham-
Holbay to BTD by a mere 0.03sec and
Barry Dutnall's 3.5-litre Brabham was
third, just 0.1 sec behind. Dave West's
Caterham 7 was easily the quickest of
the modsports car and was only 0.5sec
off BTD.

[ben240z]

Originally Posted by Tim Barry

Finally found my 1979 season results! Have scanned the results sheets from Bodiam with my new and untried scanner so hope this works! Also, the results were printed on foolscap rather than A4 so some missing text mey be evident!

Hi Tim, if you have any pics of this era it would be great to see them. Looking through the results I may have added another piece to the jigsaw puzzle that is my car. I think it appears in the results, Datsun 240z driven by John Rich. John bought the dutch/Janspeed group 5 race car from Janspeed around this time and this is the first time I have found any reference to it being used.

Cheers Ben

[JasagRacer]

Yes, everyone is correct. I competed there in the very early 1980's in a Pre-74 Jomo F. Ford. Ended up having a big accident on the banks one year, but was still good fun. I remember a field that had just had the wheat harvested being used for a "paddock". Hastings and 1066 did a good job. Good atmosphere at those events.
I too have results somehwere, unless my ex-wife has destroyed them years ago when I was getting divorced.!!

[ben240z]

thanks for the replies. Are there any photos out there still of the venue or meetings

[kjw]

I may have some pics hidden away somewhere, and possible a programme.

[ben240z]

Originally Posted by kjw

I may have some pics hidden away somewhere, and possible a programme.

have you found those pics of bodiam yet pretty please

[Rupertlt1]

Moderator please can you change thread title to Bodiam?

RGDS RLT

[ben240z]

Many years after starting this thread I have received the following 3 pics of John Rich in the car in question

[ben240z]

Originally Posted by Rupertlt1

Moderator please can you change thread title to Bodiam?

RGDS RLT

My apologies for the initial spelling mistake.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

Whereabouts in Bodiam was the hill climb? Do you have a map of the course?

I live quite close to Bodiam and until I saw this thread I didn't know this hillclimb ever existed.

Castle Inn to New House Farm at Bodiam.

Google Maps ... the Castle Inn. The start was near there, ran west and right to the farm buildings. If you zoom in on the map via the link below it will show the locations. Being a local to Bodiam you likely know them anyhow.

Google maps link to it here:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ne...87!4d0.5314149

A bit of info on Bodiam here: http://www.bygonebodiam.co.uk/BodiamHillClimb.html

[BertMk2]

That's a great car

Whereabouts in Bodiam was the hill climb? Do you have a map of the course?

I live quite close to Bodiam and until I saw this thread I didn't know this hillclimb ever existed.

[ben240z]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

That's a great car

Whereabouts in Bodiam was the hill climb? Do you have a map of the course?

I live quite close to Bodiam and until I saw this thread I didn't know this hillclimb ever existed.

I believe that the track was opposite the entrance to the castle car park and think they used the carpark as the paddock and ran the cars up the main road to the start.

I lived in Hawkhurst until 1980 but never got to see the hill climb there.

The car still lives now, I have owned it since 1996 and will be at Fourways Engineering on Saturday with the car for the open morning they are having. Just along the road from Maidstone in Borough Green.

[ben240z]

Interesting to see an entry list with George Polly entered in an Anglia. More known for his oval hotrod racing?

[ben240z]

Finally got what I have been looking for. John Rich's son sent me some photos of his father in the 240Z in the late 70s

Apologies I have yet again spelt Bodiam incorrectly and cant seem to be able to change it

[mab01UK]

A couple of photos from Martin Davidson's album of him driving the ex-Gerry Marshall Newtune prepared and entered 970 Cooper S with downdraught carburation at Bodiam Hillclimb.

[mab01UK]

A couple of photos from Martin Davidson's (alias 'Harry Martin') album of him driving the ex-Gerry Marshall Newtune prepared and entered 970 Cooper S with downdraught carburation at Bodiam Hillclimb.






(Sadly Martin Davidson died in February but his 1960's Mini racing story will be published soon based on an interview he did last November for MiniWorld magazine).