British Hillclimb Video Website

[brayspeed]

Dont really know the best place to post, as you guys call things abit different to us but anyway over in england ive had me camera out and thought id share with you guys what its like over here,

http://www.brayspeed.co.uk/video.htm

Tony

[ellswrth]

Hi, Tony

Hillclimbs are probably more similar to what we refer to as solosprint - single car runs against the clock on racetracks in machinery that ranges from road vehicles to purpose built race cars.

I've moved this thread to the Solo 1/Solosprint section for that reason.

Pay no mind to the previous reply which I removed - it was uncalled for.

Thanks for sharing,

Scott Ellsworth

[Todd #65]

Thanks for the post. Our Solosprint racing is done on closed circuit tracks similar to qualifying in other racing series. We have flying starts and run several laps.

Great videos!

[brayspeed]

No Worries

Do you race on the flat or do you also do hills

looking to come to Calgary (family) next year wouldent mind trying to see some and take some pics, any races near to Calgary

Tony

[tanney]

No sarcasm intended, but you are problably closer to us than Calgary is...... This is one big country..... The entire Great Britian can fit inside Ontario and Calgary is another three large provinces to the west of Ontario.

[MARC W]

Very nice videos..

Anyone know what happened to the Christie vintage hillclimb?

[AirCooln]

That Mini really winds out!

They look so sexy in 10" Hoosiers :)

[John Powell]

No Worries

Do you race on the flat or do you also do hills

looking to come to Calgary (family) next year wouldent mind trying to see some and take some pics, any races near to Calgary

TonyWe used to have hillclimbs back in the '50s and '60s (and no smart arse comments from you young lads ;) ), but the expansion of suburbs and "concerned citizens" groups seem to have finished them off. I remember Rattlesnake Hill and the Hockley Valley near Toronto, and I think MCO used to run one in the Gatineau Hills, but they're unfortunately long since gone. There was also a "flat" hillclimb that used to run at Mosport from turn 5c (hairpin exit) backwards up to turn one, but that's now gone as well.

As for Calgary, it's only a couple of hours from Edmonton where the Champ Car World Series ("Indy" cars) has an event each summer, but I don't know what the date is for next year. And as for distance, yeah, once you get from over 'ome to Toronto, you've come about half way to Calgary. :D

[brayspeed]

Yeh gotta say you have one big country,
over here if i travel 150 miles i would probably pass 10 or more events,
there is always something to goto on a weekend, are hillclimb championship Final is on this weekend in Scotland a place called Doune which is the furthest from me and about a 12 hour trip in the car.

Tony

[Tashko]

Does that mean no more hillclimbs this year? I happen to be in England for a couple of weeks and would love to check it out.
Is the HSA website "the" hillclimb site?

Tashko.

//edit
Found some links. Looks like I'll be going to Thoresby or Prescott next Saturday.

[J.C.]

I have searched for hillclimbs in the Ontario region and the closest I could find were in Pennsylvania and Vermont. We had planned on running a few hillclimbs there this year but due to mechanical and scheduling conflicts we were unable to attend. There is always next year.


P.S. Thank you for the video links.

[brayspeed]

Does that mean no more hillclimbs this year? I happen to be in England for a couple of weeks and would love to check it out.
Is the HSA website "the" hillclimb site?

Tashko.

//edit
Found some links. Looks like I'll be going to Thoresby or Prescott next Saturday.


If it were me, Prescott would be the one its a classic and good hillclimb,you will meet some really nice:) people.

[MARC W]

Sure would be nice if one of the clubs brought hillclimbs back to mosport;)
They seem to be popular everywhere but Canada.

[Tashko]

I think Prescott is a TR club event so I assume there would be no other cars there. The other one is a Nottingham event which looks like a good variety of cars.

I guess Thoresby is just a road course? Not sure where I'll end up. Would Prescott be good even if it's only TR's?

Thanks,
Tashko.

[brayspeed]

I think Prescott is a TR club event so I assume there would be no other cars there. The other one is a Nottingham event which looks like a good variety of cars.

I guess Thoresby is just a road course? Not sure where I'll end up. Would Prescott be good even if it's only TR's?

Thanks,
Tashko.


Trust me you will see some cars that only come out to play once a year, all polished and shiny, & very rare, worth a few quit, but best of all
"They race them" dont forget your camera.

[John Powell]

Hey Tashko - see if they'll let you run in a rental car. :D

Tony. I remember a bit about travel times in the UK, at least back in the late '40s. I was born just outside London (Rainham, Essex) and when my Mom's family came down from Birmingham to visit us (no motorways then!) it was condsidered to be a day's drive even though it was only about 100 miles. :rolleyes: As for racing, you guys in the UK are really lucky. There seems to be at least one race track or hill climb venue in every county. From where I live now (the rural area east of Ottawa) there ain't a track, even the new one at Calabogie in the Upper Ottawa Valley, that's closer than about 2 1/2 hours at towing speed, and Mosport, which I still prefer and where most of our races are run in the Ontario Region, is just over 4 1/2 hours. :o Anyway, I hope you have a good time when you visit, and try to make the CCWS race at Edmonton as I think you'll really enjoy it - fast open-wheel racing in a top formula with lots of passing. :D :D

[Tashko]

Hey Tashko - see if they'll let you run in a rental car. :D


I'll give it a shot. I have a Golf 1.6 FSI which actually handles really nice considering the skinny tires. Excellent brakes also. It's better than the Focus I usually drive over here. For some reason it's a six speed even though the first two gears are fairly tall. It would've been nice if they were a much closer ratio. You have to keep it over 3.5k to have any go which means winding it out in first and second since there's 1.5k rpm between them.

I'd have to go to the Nottingham event as I think the Prescott one is TR's only.

Yeah, there's always something going on. I'm going to check out the BTCC next Sunday:D

My daily drive out of London is quite entertaining. Round-abouts are the best invention ever!:p

[Carguy]

Yeah, there's always something going on. I'm going to check out the BTCC next Sunday:D

I always look forward to watching BTCC on Speed channel in the fall. Great racing series. :) As far a hill climbs go don't forget the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb hosted by the city of Colorado Springs, CO. The range of vehicles competing in the 12-mile climb includes motor bikes, some with sidecars, ATVs, open wheels cars, rally type cars and even big rigs. :eek: The couse starts out on a paved road and turns into dirt. I'd say it's also part rally as well...

[fcracer]

Canada has the oldest paved hillclimb in the world, the Knox Mountain Hillclimb in Kelowna, B.C. The Unsers even came up one year to try and unseat the Canadian king of the hill. John Haftner set the record several years ago and still holds it today. Here is one of his runs from last year (non-record): http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-2835062153556693963&q=knox+mountain+hillclimb

Here's mine when we held the SP2 record (now since beaten): http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-4195812377736808095&q=knox+mountain+hillclimb

Some other runs/views: http://video.google.ca/videosearch?q=knox+mountain+hillclimb

The hillclimb has been around for 49 year. More info can be found at: http://www.knoxmtnhillclimb.ca/about.htm

If you ever get a chance to race up this hill, you should do it, it's an amazing run and a great atmosphere, the entire city gets into the action and the mountain is right downtown in one of the most stunningly beautiful areas of B.C.

[brayspeed]

That looks a fantastic hillclimb

Do you guys walk the hill before you race as we do over here,

Tony

[fcracer]

That looks a fantastic hillclimb. Do you guys walk the hill before you race as we do over here,


Hi Tony,

We do walk the mountain, but it's very steep and very tiring. You only get one walk in maximum before you go. There are sections with 200ft drops off the side with trees sticking out of the side of the mountain and huge boulders once that section levels off. There is one corner called "sky corner" because all you see when you go around is sky, it's a huge drop down if you get it wrong.

Richard "Chickenman" Boyk, current record holder in SP3 had some advice for me when I went up the first year: "Don't look over the edge, it will just slow you down; what you don't know can't hurt you and when it does, it will be too late to worry about anyways..."

When you're running it, the 200ft drops disapear from memory and all you see is the tarmac ahead of you :)

Farzaan

[brayspeed]

Blimey:eek: Walking that far would take me all day,
your hillclimbs are alot longer than ours,
yours are like one british rally stage but going up hill, :cool:

Next year when i come over im going to spend a week in Calgary and a Week in Dallas Texas as we have family in both, when i know a date i will have to see whats going on, im looking foward to seeing some hillclimbing Canadian style,:D

Tony