British Hillclimb Championship, 2021-

[Anyopenroad]

Slightly frustrated to have been at Shelsley Walsh yesterday (Saturday) rather than today (Sunday)! Sat was a slightly overcast day with some delays leading to the third BHC practice session being dropped. Sun was glorious and sunny and saw several drivers under the old hill record!

Hillclimb is my new favourite motorsport spectator experience. I plan to go to a lot more at more venues next year. I just have to start going on Sundays rather than my preferred Saturdays :-).

[dwh43scale]

Sunday WAS the best day ! Photos to follow

[Woolley]

Originally Posted by Anyopenroad

some delays leading to the third BHC practice session being dropped.

Don't think third practice was ever intended to run other than Sunday morning, that's why Saturday has the one day event to fill up the time. Or over-fill on this occasion, 6:30 was a little late to finish.

Today was awesome. Class record for unlimited broken (Sean Gould), outright record broken by three consecutive drivers (Wallace Menzies, then Alex Summers then Sean Gould, ladies record also broken (Nicola Menzies) and a first win for Scott Moran in the new car.

A couple of shunts were a shame resulting in lots of damage but drivers OK. Only real shame was that the rain started just as I was packing up the caravan and I got wet!

[dwh43scale]

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmWr2kKK

Experimenting with Slow Shutter Speed Sunday ... subtitled Impressions of Speed. Won't be everyone's cup of tea, but see what you think.

[SnoodyMcFlude]

Originally Posted by Malcolm Smith

Arrived just before lunchtime monsoon. Dried out a little in sunshine, then another downpour.
Took a few photos before stopping to avoid ruining camera. Visited paddock, would have chatted, but nobody at Legend when I was there. An excellent venue which I would return to if in area again.

Yeah weather was quite frustrating, nice photos though.
Sorry to miss you, we would likely have been in the queue for food or generally winding up other competitors

[Anyopenroad]

Originally Posted by Woolley

Don't think third practice was ever intended to run other than Sunday morning, that's why Saturday has the one day event to fill up the time. Or over-fill on this occasion, 6:30 was a little late to finish.

Thanks! There were 3 practice sessions on Sat at Prescott in July so I assumed the same here. I must confess I think a bit more could be done to communicate things like that. The commentators do a great job at describing the cars and drivers but didn’t seem to know more than anyone else about what competitions were happening or what the plan for the day was. And none of that is online.

I fully appreciate that I am being grumpy about a club event run by volunteers which provides wonderful entertainment and has come through difficult times. I have now learned my lesson: go on Sundays

[dwh43scale]

Originally Posted by Anyopenroad

The commentators do a great job at describing the cars and drivers but didn’t seem to know more than anyone else about what competitions were happening or what the plan for the day was. And none of that is online.

The commentators at SW are not alone (and yes they do an excellent job). The commentary on the splits for the record breaking runs yesterday was superb !

Having been to a LOT of motorsport in recent years it's a common feature and I don't recall it only being since the pandemic. Communications between race control and the commentators seems somewhat haphazard at a number of venues. Then we have commentators who don't seem to have a view of the whole of the track - Donington or Snetterton are just two examples.

I have never been in either race control or the commentary box and I am sure there is a lot going off especially if there has been an incident - but if the 'umble speccie gets confused and can't work out what's going off - they might decide not to come next time.

Oh, and don't ask me about PA speakers not working (that's a section at Donington not SW).

[Anyopenroad]

It's off-topic but on the subject of circuit commentators I do smile at the dligence with which they read out entry changes and grid starting order "so that you can make a note in your programme". The brilliant thing is that they continued to do it earlier this summer when only digital programmes were available. It's adorable .

[Woolley]

Originally Posted by Anyopenroad

Thanks! There were 3 practice sessions on Sat at Prescott in July so I assumed the same here. I must confess I think a bit more could be done to communicate things like that. The commentators do a great job at describing the cars and drivers but didn’t seem to know more than anyone else about what competitions were happening or what the plan for the day was. And none of that is online.

I fully appreciate that I am being grumpy about a club event run by volunteers which provides wonderful entertainment and has come through difficult times. I have now learned my lesson: go on Sundays

Saturdays are a bit odd when you get a mix of events. The programme sort of explains it. The general format - at least around the Midlands is:

Sat everyone practices once. One day people take 2nd practice before lunch. After lunch everyone runs again, for the one dayers that's their first timed run. When everyone's had another go, the one day has it's 2nd timed run.

Sun. If there is a one day meeting as well works similarly. One day practice, everyone else's 1st timed, One day 2nd practice, top 12 run off. One day 1st timed, everyone else's 2nd timed, one day 2nd timed, top 12 run off.

There may be local variations, but that's the common system.

Originally Posted by Anyopenroad

It's off-topic but on the subject of circuit commentators I do smile at the dligence with which they read out entry changes and grid starting order "so that you can make a note in your programme". The brilliant thing is that they continued to do it earlier this summer when only digital programmes were available. It's adorable .

And as a marshal - especially when flagging at circuits - it drives me nuts that they give out that information along with the starting grid during the green flag lap when I'm busy doing something else and can't make notes. Then they refer to the drivers by name throughout so following the order when I'm using numbers is very difficult, especially during events where the drivers change. Trying to pick out the leader after pitstops when you don't know who's got into which car and the programme doesn't match and you're not sure if someone lost a lap during the stop... If they could just say #10 driven by xxx from yyy in #3, #5 is now a lap down it would help enormously.

[Anyopenroad]

Thank you! That's all brilliantly clear in your head and fabulously muddled in mine . But that's because I only attended my first ever hillclimb meeting in July and last weekend was my third. I'm going to keep it simple from now on: go on Sundays! British Hillclimb is going to be a priority for me next year.

I plan to be at Prescott in early October for their just-announced Rally meeting. That's on one day so there's less opportunity for me to become confused .

[dwh43scale]

Originally Posted by Anyopenroad

Thank you! That's all brilliantly clear in your head and fabulously muddled in mine . But that's because I only attended my first ever hillclimb meeting in July and last weekend was my third. I'm going to keep it simple from now on: go on Sundays! British Hillclimb is going to be a priority for me next year.

I plan to be at Prescott in early October for their just-announced Rally meeting. That's on one day so there's less opportunity for me to become confused .

Make sure next year's holiday plans include a trip to Doune ... if the dates align you can tour t'frozen north and do Barbon and Harewood on the way back !

[SnoodyMcFlude]

Originally Posted by Woolley

Sat everyone practices once. One day people take 2nd practice before lunch. After lunch everyone runs again, for the one dayers that's their first timed run. When everyone's had another go, the one day has it's 2nd timed run.

Sun. If there is a one day meeting as well works similarly. One day practice, everyone else's 1st timed, One day 2nd practice, top 12 run off. One day 1st timed, everyone else's 2nd timed, one day 2nd timed, top 12 run off.

There may be local variations, but that's the common system.

In the South West we would expect 2 practice in the morning and 2 timed in the afternoon as a minimum at most venues. That's on both days regardless of weather you're entered for the single day or the weekend because each day runs as a separate event.

It gets confusing when the national championship is in town where they run 3 practice on Saturday and then 1 timed, 1 runoff, 1 timed, 1 runoff on the Sunday. In previous years the rest of us would still do the normal 2p2t on both days but this year they cut us back to 1p2t each day....which obviously went down well.

Some venues work much more smoothly and allow more runs, generally sprints. At Treloy near Newquay we once did 2 practice and 9 timed in one day, and still finished before 4pm. With a double driven car the engine was absolutely roasting all day

[The Fat Clerk]

BARC @ Curborough on Saturday & Sunday are only having 1 untimed session with a minimum of 2 timed runs, that's on the figure of 8 course on Saturday and 2 laps of the'normal' course on Sunday.

[Woolley]

I'm not a fan of Curborough, but the last time I went when they ran the figure of 8 was quite entertaining. There were a remarkable number of variations on the route attempted, not all of them intentional.

[Anyopenroad]

Hello again!

Does anyone know if the BHC meeting at Prescott this weekend will have two practice runs on Saturday or three? Thanks.

[Woolley]

Originally Posted by Anyopenroad

Hello again!

Does anyone know if the BHC meeting at Prescott this weekend will have two practice runs on Saturday or three? Thanks.

Not sure, I've asked so I'll let you know when there's a reply.

[Anyopenroad]

Originally Posted by Woolley

Not sure, I've asked so I'll let you know when there's a reply.

Thank you! That's very kind and much appreciated .

[Woolley]

My understanding is British contenders will have two runs on Saturday, and there is a one day meeting attached which will have two practice runs in the morning and two timed runs in the afternoon.

Although the person I asked said 'he thinks', so that might not be the case! It does fit the normal pattern for this year, though.

[Anyopenroad]

Many thanks

[dwh43scale]

That was my third British Hillclimb meeting this year - and each time I have seen the previous hill record beaten three times in the day. Bring on Loton Park !
A few snaps from Prescott yesterday - https://flic.kr/s/aHsmWynGqx

[Anyopenroad]

Originally Posted by dwh43scale

A few snaps from Prescott yesterday - https://flic.kr/s/aHsmWynGqx

The shot at the top of the hill, with the rest of the track below and the countryside stretching into the distance, is glorious!

[dwh43scale]

Thank you - been playing with my new 24-70mm to get the wider view.

Although the last few at the Esses are back to the trusty 70-200mm.

[SnoodyMcFlude]

Looks like it was quite the event, 0.04 between the first two in the first run off then two new records in the second. Apparently Wallace would have wrapped up the championship had Alex not broken the record, which he did by 0.01 seconds....although I think he needs 4 hill records and Menzies to not score any points!

Slightly calmer down at Wiscombe, but I did at least manage a new PB...just knocking 0.01 off the previous. Very unexpected though, didn't think the tyres still had that kind of time in them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRsK...=SnoodyMcFlude

[Anyopenroad]

Congrats on the PB! Just watched the vid - that’s a long and winding road . Definitely on my must-visit list for next year. Hillclimbing has been the revelation of 2021 for me.

[dwh43scale]

Well, what a day at Loton Park ! Multiple runs under the hill record and more wins for Wallace. My impressions of the day here - morning and afternoon albums - https://www.flickr.com/photos/dwh38/albums