From the Beginning
This weekend saw the first round of the 2014 British Hillclimb Championship. There were a number of unexpected driver/car combinations due to winter projects having not been completed in time for the start of the season. There were also some new drivers in their recently acquired OMS cars. But in the main, most national scene drivers were there with a view to grabbing a few extra championship points whilst the opposition were not yet ready to run competitively at this meeting.
New faces at the meeting included Steve Spiers in the ex-Fleetwood/ MacDiarmid OMS CF04. He had a good meeting finishing 3rd in class just behind Lee Griffiths. In the 1100cc racing car class Ian Davies drove a Suzuki powered OMS RA with co-driver Chris Bentley Jones.
Neville Rollason shared a Jamun Formula Ford with Richard Thorne, one of the Classic Affairs car restoration team that Nev heads up. Richard competed in Saturday's Midland Hill Climb Championship B licence class and took the win; well-done Rich. Neville is awaiting Steve Owen completing the new OMS 28 that has been built with a supercharged 1300cc Hayabusa. The car should debut at Shelsley Walsh next weekend, 3rd and 4th May.
Lee Griffiths share drove John Stockley’s Busa powered OMS 2000M. Lee is in the process of having a turbo charged 1300cc Hayabusa built and installed by OMS Racing. Lee finished an excellent 2nd in class, his best finish position at a British Championship meeting.
Gary Hill is again running the 600cc OMS Hornet he shared with Steve Owen last year. Steve will be out in the car again this season, but it will also be driven by Harry Pick son of hillclimber John Pick and close friends of the car's former owner David Oldridge. Gary had the advantage this weekend, but Harry is quick so look out Gary.
Ian Fidoe drove the OMS CF09 tkd Yv8 that he shared last season with Tim Elmer. Ian finished fourth in this highly competitive class.
Trevor Willis enters his second season with his OMS 28 V8 in which he finished second overall in the 2013 MSA Avon Tyres/TCC Group British Hillclimb Championship. Following a strong practice session where he topped the time sheets, things turned around on him in the competition. Trevor finished second in class to his perennial rival Scott Moran, second in the first of the two British Championship run offs and in the barrier on the second run off, minus a wheel and rear wing assembly. Click the link below to see a video clip showing the moment when the car got away from Trevor whilst he was going into the Esses.
The next British and Hillclimb Leaders championship round is at Barbon Manor on 10th May and over the Pennines to Harewood Hillclimb for the following day, Sunday 11th May.
To view individual times for today's meeting at Prescott click here and to see the British Hillclimb and Hillclimb Leaders Championship scores click here.
To view the video of Trevor click here.
Date: 28/04/2014 | Author: L. Owen