Award-winning motorsport event speeding its way to Devon

Wiscombe Park, the award-winning speed hillclimb venue near Honiton, is gearing up for the visit of the British Hillclimb Championships on July 26 and 27.

The venue has been hosting the Championships since 1962. Wiscombe held its first event in 1958 and is considered one of the most challenging courses on the calendar and a competitors favourite.

The fastest cars and drivers in the UK will be testing their skills on the tortuous 1000-yard course that comprises two long straights and three hairpin bends.

Read about a record-breaking run at Wiscombe Park

The fastest cars will reach speeds of up to 130mph on Castle Straight before heavy braking is required for the very tight left-handed hairpin bend, and the steepest part of the course, known as Martini, and the finish line. The drivers hope that they will arrive in the top paddock neither shaken nor stirred!

On both Saturday and Sunday, the competitors will be attempting to qualify for a Top 12 Run Off – it is where they finish in the Run Off that decides how many Championship points they receive – 10 points for first place down to 1 for tenth place. The drivers with the two slowest times receive no points. If a new record time is set, an extra point is awarded.

At last year’s event, eight new Class records were established. Olivia Cooper set a new Ladies Record and the Outright Hill Record was broken twice by the eventual 2024 British Champion, Matt Ryder – achieving his quickest time of the weekend - 31.77s - on the last run of the day!

This year’s Championship is finely balanced after 18 Rounds. Defending Champion, Matt Ryder, is currently heading the table by 10 points from four-time Champion, Wallace Menzies, and Will Hall. All three drivers competing in an all-carbon fibre single seat racing car manufactured by Gould Engineering Solutions – the GR57.

This Newbury-based family business run by father and son David and Sean Gould, has built the cars that have won 23 of the last 26 British titles stretching back to 1998. David Gould’s first Championship success with his own chassis came with Chris Cramer in 1985.

And there will be plenty of local SW based drivers in action too – Dawlish Warren golf professional Jon Langmead, Jonathan Williamson and Rod Eyles will all be competing for points in the BHC Cup. Jon is currently 9th , Jonathan 13th and Rod 18th – all four drivers are leading their respective Classes.

Read more on motorsport in Devon

One of the sports up and coming stars, Plymouth-based Alex Coles – BHC Cup Champion in 2022 – is having another great season. He has scored points in all the BHC Top 12 Run Off’s so far this season, with the exception of the Irish and Channel Islands events, which he did not attend. Alex is currently 5th and leading his Class in the BHC Cup.

In addition to the British Championship and BHC Cup, there is a companion series – the Tin Top Challenge. Whereas the main championship is dominated by the fastest cars, which are all single seaters, the TTC is for cars with roofs. These are mostly saloon cars similar to those that are in use every day on public roads.

These competitors battle for points in their own Top 10 Run Off. The 2024 Champion, Simon Bainbridge, currently leads the Championship in his Audi based SBR Chrono.

And this year, a first for Wiscombe Park, the venue welcomes an overseas hillclimb Champion. Australian Dean Tighe will make his competitive UK debut driving a very fast Empire Wraith single seater, which is built by Bill Chaplin and his team at Bridgwater-based Empire Racing Cars.

Dean has won many titles in a long motorsport career encompassing karting, rallying, circuits, sprints and hillclimbs – a true motorsport “all rounder”.

Dean, who runs a very successful engineering business, Ivan Tighe Engineering in Brisbane, was crowned the NSW Hillclimb Champion in 2021 and 2022. He also lifted the 2022 Australian Hillclimb Championship too. In addition, he achieved sprint honours in the 2021 Queensland Super Sprint and 2022 Australian Super Sprint Championships.

The Wiscombe Park itinerary includes a BHC Top 12 Run Off and TTC Top 10 Run Off on each day. For spectators to get a close-up view of all the cars and chat to the drivers, the paddock is open all day with free admission. A wide range of food and refreshments are also available.

Tickets for the event can be purchased at a discount from the Wiscombe Park website www.wiscombepark.co.uk/events Tickets can also be purchased at the gate. Under 16’s are admitted free.