Wanted - Hill Climbing events

Griffo46 · Post by **Griffo46** » Tue Dec 13, 2022 10:41 pm

Does anyone know of any public events for hill climbing? I'm not sure I fancy a track day, but would really like to turn up and pay to have a sprint up the hills in the Z4. I think meeting up and looking around cars while getting the roof down and having a blast on the hill climb would be ace.

Please let me know if you know of any, I'm looking at 2023 calendars now but difficult to tell who can take part.

I live in the North west, Loton Park looks like my nearest.

mmm-five · Post by **mmm-five** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 11:39 am

Loton Park is great (I've marshalled there a few times in the past, but only driven up the hill to get to/from my post) and yes is probably your closest, but I don't remember it being a 'run what you brung' event, and you'll have to contact the HDLCC (Hagley & District Light Car Club) who run most/all of the hillclimb events there IIRC about becoming a member.

You can even camp overnight if you need to.

Your other options are:

Some old Loton Park images (unfortunately only from in between sessions, as I can't take photos when marshalling)...https://imgur.com/a/lNQH1lS

buzyg · Post by **buzyg** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 1:02 pm

Hill climb events are great fun. The Z4 is a big old heavy lump though, far from perfect for such. Not many are drive what you brung. At a minimum you will need a timing blade and fire extinguisher. Shame you are not closer, lots going on down this neck of the woods. Well we have no tracks so kind of a necessity to use roads. Only ever drove my Z4MR up one hill climb course at pace. It scared the life out of me, the passenger side front is there somewhere, but you just don't know where so any granite walls that side and your 2ft of line or braver than me.

Here's a picture of a good friend of mine on the Watergate Bay Course a few years back, to get you in the mood.

: Jeff at Watergate..jpg (144.28 KiB) Viewed 483 times

Ed Doe · Post by **Ed Doe** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 1:12 pm

Can I ask why you don't fancy a trackday in favour of hillclimbing? Honestly, from a risk perspective I could easily see that hillclimbing would present greater risk than a trackday - where on a track you can get into a rhythm learning the circuit and build into speed, on a hillclimb you get one shot at the course with a fair old wait between sessions, where you and the car and tyres get cold!

I don't speak from experience, but just thinking out loud, most of the trackdays I've been on are pretty relaxed, and can be quite sociable - especially the open-pit days where you just roll on and roll off when you want. Just worth thinking about

Speaking of 'run what ya brung' Hillclimb events - the only one I can think of is (or maybe was - I've not been in years) Pugfest at Prescott Hillclimb in Wiltshire. Back when I used to go with the 306 club I was part of, it was £5 a run up the hill, and it was open all day! Only catch was (perhaps obviously given the title of the event) that you could only run your peugeot, other marques were not allowed...

obewan · Post by **obewan** » Thu Dec 15, 2022 7:20 pm

Barbon Hill Climb? They have both bike & car events during the year.
Its a few miles past Kirkby Lonsdale (M6 Junction 36)
I'll be honest I don't know the entry rules, but if you are interested I can find out (I know the guy that helps out on the start line)

It's run by Liverpool Motor club
Link here: https://www.liverpoolmotorclub.com/barbon-hillclimb/

Griffo46 · Post by **Griffo46** » Thu Dec 15, 2022 9:47 pm

Awesome replies and helpful info here, thank you! The idea of attending these events and having a blast now and then as a bit of fun really interests me.
I’ve been thinking about track days as I’m only 30 minutes from Oulton Park, but I’m not enthusiastic about pushing my car for all those sessions, hill climbs are max 90 second runs.
I suppose the social side of these events is more of an attraction too, chatting and having a brew with like minded people.

buzyg · Post by **buzyg** » Fri Dec 16, 2022 1:39 am

Griffo46 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 15, 2022 9:47 pm Awesome replies and helpful info here, thank you! The idea of attending these events and having a blast now and then as a bit of fun really interests me.
I’ve been thinking about track days as I’m only 30 minutes from Oulton Park, but I’m not enthusiastic about pushing my car for all those sessions, hill climbs are max 90 second runs.
I suppose the social side of these events is more of an attraction too, chatting and having a brew with like minded people.

Yes, in my limited experience, the social side is on another level from a track day.

Griffo46 · Post by **Griffo46** » Fri Dec 16, 2022 9:32 am

mmm-five wrote: ↑Wed Dec 14, 2022 11:39 am Loton Park is great (I've marshalled there a few times in the past, but only driven up the hill to get to/from my post) and yes is probably your closest, but I don't remember it being a 'run what you brung' event, and you'll have to contact the HDLCC (Hagley & District Light Car Club) who run most/all of the hillclimb events there IIRC about becoming a member.

You can even camp overnight if you need to.

Your other options are:

Harewood (Harewood, between Leeds & Harrogate, Yorkshire)

Shelsley Walsh (Worcester, Worcestershire)

Gurston Down (Salisbury, Wiltshire)

Prescott (Prescott, Gloucestershire)

Wiscombe Park (Southleigh, Devon)
Some old Loton Park images (unfortunately only from in between sessions, as I can't take photos when marshalling)...https://imgur.com/a/lNQH1lS

I bet you have a great day Marshalling there. Great team work and mostly everyone are well into what they do. Before kids arrived, I used to Marshall for Racesafe at Oulton and Aintree sometimes, when the kids are older I’ll be doing it again!

brillomaster · Post by **brillomaster** » Fri Dec 16, 2022 9:43 am

buzyg wrote: ↑Fri Dec 16, 2022 1:39 am
Griffo46 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 15, 2022 9:47 pm Awesome replies and helpful info here, thank you! The idea of attending these events and having a blast now and then as a bit of fun really interests me.
I’ve been thinking about track days as I’m only 30 minutes from Oulton Park, but I’m not enthusiastic about pushing my car for all those sessions, hill climbs are max 90 second runs.
I suppose the social side of these events is more of an attraction too, chatting and having a brew with like minded people.
Yes, in my limited experience, the social side is on another level from a track day.

if you're more interested in the social side, why bother going up the hill at all? its normally free to mill around the pits. equally, you could mill around the pits on a trackday for free too - you might even get to talking to some people, and they'll take you out in their cars, you'll just have to pay a tenner to sign on as a passenger.

i'd go to both types of event without driving first, get chatting, and see how you get on. trackdays have a good social atmosphere as well - especially open pit lane ones where cars come and go as they please. Also - you dont have to push a car on a trackday, its not a race. you can do nice short stints driving at 8 10ths, and the car wil be absolutely fine as long as its been well maintained and the fluids are topped up. id say a sessioned trackday puts more strain on a car, as you'd be more inclined to stay out for your entire 20 minute session, which is longer than i'd normally do on a stint on an OPL day.

NS66 · Post by **NS66** » Fri Dec 16, 2022 10:14 am

Ive done a couple of School days with Hagley car club at Loton park which are great but only run a few times a year and get filled up well in advance. Ive got my name on the list for similar at Prescott this year.
The days are good, perhaps expensive for the amount of driving you do but well worth it. What car you use makes no difference and you and the Z will have a great time. My first outing was when I had a Boxster and I my times improved with each run and was embarrassed to have been beaten by a Smart car!! only to find out later the driver was an ex hill climb champion

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