Sprint / Hillclimb info&questions

[Icycool]

Hello all, I am new to this forum and posting in general. I am interested in getting into hill climbing and was wondering,

1. What license(s) are required?
2. What cars are best to use (limited budget)
3. Where they are run? (I live in Wales)
4. Has anybody used a diesel engine car ( just thinking the lower end grunt may be an advantage)

Sorry if these questions have already been posted before, but any help, web links etc would be so appreciated.

Thanks

[Truckosaurus]

Ahoy Icy,

1. You'll need a 'non Race National B' licence from the MSA. Costs around £30, just fill out a form.

2. On a limited budget, the best car is whatever you currently own. Otherwise, a Mini is a good cheap way to start.

3. Several of the famous courses are on the English-Welsh borders (Prescott, Shelsley, Loton etc.) There must be some other one deeper into Wales, but I'm not familiar with them. There must surely be a "Welsh Hillclimbing Championship" (search on google).

4. Diesels have been used in the past, so there's nothing stopping you entering one.

5. Check out the 'National and Club Racing' section on this forum for other hillclimb topics.

Edited to add:

http://www.ukmotorsport.com/uk_speed.html

Plenty of Hillclimb and Sprint Links. Including the Swansea Motor Club which might be of use...

[Fireblade]

Originally posted by Guy Humpage

There must surely be a "Welsh Hillclimbing Championship" (search on google).

Must there?

There are a wealth of championships applicable to all comers and very little actual hillcliming taking place in Wales.
So not much call for a Welsh Championship.
There will shortly be another venue on Welsh borders in Herefordshire at a place called Huntington Park near Kington in the shadow of Hergest Ridge.
Also sprints at Llandow of which one is run by the MAC.

[Dan Friel]

In most championships a diesel car should also drop you down a class.. so if you have a 1.9 TD, then you should be running in the sub 1400cc class - a distinct advantage perhaps!

There are plenty of powerful diesels out there, someone is running a 156 Sportswagon in the Alfa race series, and that's doing pretty well.

[Anuauto]

As you will know travelling North-South is a problem. There has been a Welsh Speed Championship in recent years, combining hillclimbs with sprints. Current hillclimb venues in Wales are Llys-y-Fran and the new venue at Pontrydfendigaid only. Sprints run at Llandow, Pembrey and Ty Croes. Turbo Diesels are subject to the turbo equivalency notional increase for all classes. Venues close to the border such as Shelsley and Prescot (and to a slightly lesser extent Loton) can be difficult for most newcomers to get entries to and do not operate on the "first come first served basis" of most others.

[HiRich]

On choice of cars, there was someone at Wiscombe on Saturday running a Renault Fuego turbo bought (according to his commentary brief) "for £100, as a donor for the Europa. Running it today to blitz the engine and justify breaking the car."

[Dan Friel]

Just to clarify the diesel issue, this comes from the ACSMC speed regs:

"Cars using forced induction will be classified as having an engine capacity increase of 40%, those using diesel fuel a reduction of 50% (e.g. a 2000cc turbo diesel will be considered to be the equivalent to a 1400cc normally aspirated petrol engine)."

[Truckosaurus]

It can't be long before the 50% reduction capacity for diesels is changed. Cars like the Skoda Fabia vRS and Seat Ibiza now come with 130 and 150bhp as standard from their 1.9 litre TDi engines, £500 worth of remapping gives 180bhp+ and 300lb/ft of torque.

[Big Mark]

I think a few clubs are looking at applying a 1.4 X multiplier (turbo) on the oil burners as they really rocket these days

[Icycool]

Thank you all for your help.

[Dunk]

Interested in participating in 2005, but can't find any info on how many runs you get during an event.

D

[james_williams]

Welcome to Ten-Tenths Dunk.

It depends on the meeting as to how many runs you get. Normally on a two day event you will get 2 or three practice runs on the Saturday and 2 competitive runs on the Sunday. If you qualify for the top 12 runoff you will get a further two runs.

On one day meetings, normally you will get two runs in the morning for practice and 2 runs in the afternoon as competitive runs.

Although it may not seem like much, each run is a real adrenaline rush. Also hillclimbing is very social and there is lots more to it than running the car. Come along to a meeting to find out more. Don't know where your based but there is a sprint on at Curborough (nr Lichfield) on Sunday which has a good entry.

[Big Mark]

Hi Dunk, where in the country are you?
What car/class are you looking at running in?

[Dunk]

Thks for the overview, I'm after a budget form of motorsport to get involved in & sprints & H/c looks reasonable value for money. (Also less risk of a hot headed incident!)
I'm based nr Reading & would be looking to use an Impreza. Either in a standard or mildly modded guise. (Or a Strada 130TC if I ever finish it !)
Any others running Imprezas ?

D

[Pike]

There`s a few that regulalrly compete in the Midland rounds (Prescott, Nr Cheltenham, Shelsley, Worcestershire and Loton Pk, Nr Shrewsbury) plus a Lancer etc. You should slot in the road going class with a bog standard Impreza I am guessing.

[b1ackcr0w]

Imprezas are quite a commonly used H/Climb car, you will find that the classes they are entered into with be tough to compete in, because there will be a lot of experienced campaigners. However, don't let that put you off, just getting your time to a respectable level will keep you entertained for some time.

You mention some modding, before you enter any events, I would check with an MSA scrutineer about the leagality of your mods and whether they would make you ineligible for the class you intend competing in. The most usual problems with scrutineersing are eithe to do with general safety of the vehicle or with noise limits at the sound check. That badboy exhaust might give you 5 extra BHP, but if it makes you too loud for the sound check, it ain't going nowhere!

[Andrew Gunnell]

Hi Dunk

Have a look at www.ukmotorsport.com. Where it has laods of links to different web site related to both hill climbs and sprints.

[Steve Wilkinson]

As a rule of thumb Dunk I would steer clear of NATIONAL hillclimb meetings as you will mostly have to spend two days there to practice and compete.
However the British Sprint Championship meetings are ALL single day events.
At most sprint meetings the regs should tell you the MAXIMUM number of runs covered by the Insurance. This is usually two practice and three timed runs. However there are notable exceptions such as Chester Motor Club who last year put on two practice and six timed runs at their Three Sisters sprint in August.

Hope to see you out in 2005,

Keep us posted

[blackx]

Originally Posted by b1ackcr0w

Imprezas are quite a commonly used H/Climb car, you will find that the classes they are entered into with be tough to compete in, because there will be a lot of experienced campaigners. However, don't let that put you off, just getting your time to a respectable level will keep you entertained for some time.

You mention some modding, before you enter any events, I would check with an MSA scrutineer about the leagality of your mods and whether they would make you ineligible for the class you intend competing in. The most usual problems with scrutineersing are eithe to do with general safety of the vehicle or with noise limits at the sound check. That badboy exhaust might give you 5 extra BHP, but if it makes you too loud for the sound check, it ain't going nowhere!

Not forgetting the fact that as the Scooby is turbocharged it will be in the over 2 litre class IIRC....A class that is privvy to some very capable drivers and seriously quick cars that are also road legal....

[Sheila M]

Hi Dunk,

BARC Midlands run three sprints a year at Curborough which you would be most welcome to compete in. You don't have to be a BARC member, but it helps if you are because you get discounts. We often have Imprezas running and you will always get two practice runs and a minimum of two timed runs - three if time allows. We are famous for being friendly and welcoming to new competitors!

Check out the BARC website for more details.

Sheila Marrison
Press Officer
BARC Midlands

[Steve Wilkinson]

If you join BARC then you willalso get discounts at Harewood, there hillclimb venue in Yorkshire.

[Locoster]

We are thinking of running in a couple of hillclimbs in our Scooby next year.

Adam

[Steve Wilkinson]

Locoster - where are you based? What spec is the Scooby in?

[Big Mark]

steve, what championship are you running in next year?

[Locoster]

We are just off J14 of the M4 (Berkshire). The Scooby is standard at the moment.

We are building a hillclimb special (see here) to hillclimb. We are going to do a couple to get the feel.

Adam