Harewood Open Hillclimb and May British Hillclimb Championship.

Harewood Open Hillclimb Championship Saturday.

The Harewood Open Hillclimb and May British Hillclimb Championship was the second event organised by the British Automobile Racing Club (BARC) Yorkshire Centre this year. The  BARC Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship and BARC Harewood Speed Hillclimb Fastest Time of the Day Award Series (FTD) was held on Saturday 9^th May.

Sunday’s meeting was part of the British Hillclimb Championship. A number of competitors from that Championship also joined the Harewood regulars along with a number of competitors from the Ferrari Owners Club. The FOC were competing for the Superformance Ferrari Hillclimb Championship at Harewood Hill for both days.

Challenging conditions on the Hill

Rain was in the forecast, it arrived mid morning and again mid afternoon. Which kept the drivers guessing on which tyres to bolt on, for at least those that could have a choice within the rules of each class. Though that didn’t mean that the action on the track was any less thrilling. The wet conditions making it difficult, for competitors to keep the cars on the black stuff.

Wallace Menzies having taken the Fastest Time of the Day Award, also now leads the Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship driving his Gould GR59. Menzies along with a number of his fellow competitors were taking part on the Saturday to get some extra practice before the full British championship meeting on the Sunday.

Richard Andrews driving a Porsche GT4 RS is now in second place with another Porsche, this time a Porsche 718 Cayman GTS with David Taylor at the wheel who is in third place.

Matt Ryder who came to Harewood leading the British Hillclimb Championship had issues with his Gould GR59J’s gearbox during first practice, he did not take second practice but the team got the car going so at least he could take both his timed runs to finish third in class some 5.25 seconds behind the class winner, Wallace.

Jonathan Williamson driving his Porsche 911 Carrera set a new class record for 3C Modified Series Production over 2000cc and two wheel drive in his first timed run, beating the record by over a second.

Fastest Time of the Day Awards Series.

Fastest Time of the Day (FTD) went to Wallace Menzies driving his Gould GR59, who set a time of 56.78 seconds. In fact it was three drivers from the British Hillclimb Championship who set the FTD’s top three times, Will Hall driving Judd engined Gould GR59, was 1.01 seconds behind.  Alex Coles driving a Force TA posted a time of 60.25 seconds to take third place.

Only Wallace and Will got under the 60 seconds in the ever changing track conditions. Both of these drivers still managed a top speed of over 110mph on the straight up to Quarry corner in the wet.

It was David Tatham driving his DJ Firehawk, who set the quickest time by any of the Harewood Hill regulars and more would come from him the following day in much dryer conditions.

Results for Harewood Open Hillclimb Championship

Timed Runs: Event Results

FTD & Top 4 In Class. Event Results

Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship results after Round two: Event Results

Harewood Fastest Time of the Day Awards Series: Event Results

British Hillclimb Championship (BHC) prior to Harewood. 

Round’s one and two of the BHC.

Prior to the BHC visit at Harewood Hill the competitors had started the 2026 season off at Prescott with 2 rounds over the weekend of 25^th and 26^th April. Matt Ryder won the first run-off with Will Hall taking second and Wallace Menzies taking third. In the second run-off Will Hall took the top spot, with Matt Ryder in second and Wallace taking third place. So Matt and Will left Prescott in joint first place in the championship.

Round three of the BHC.

The BHC was over in Northern Ireland for the Craigantlet Hillclimb organised by the Ulster Automobile Club on Saturday 2^nd May for Rounds three and four on the closed road hillclimb course on the outskirts of Belfast.

First Wallace set a new hill record but that only lasted until Matt Ryder, followed up the hill to set a new hill record. Will Hall also set a time which was under the old hill record before the meeting.

Round four of the BHC.

Matt Ryder beat his own hill record during round four. Will Hall also set a time quicker than the time set in round three by Matt Ryder and was only 0.04 seconds behind Matt. Meanwhile Wallace completed the podium in third place setting a time that matched the hill record and had stood since 2016, which was set by Scott Moran and equalled by Dave Uren in 2019.

May British Hillclimb Championship (BHC) Sunday.

Rounds five and six of the BHC at Harewood.

So coming into the meeting at Harewood Hill, Matt Ryder had a two point lead over Will Hall with Wallace Menzies a further six points behind.

Harewood on Sunday was very different to Saturday, it was dry and when the sun came out was nice and warm but when it went behind the clouds the temperature dropped very quickly with a chilly wind.

Ferrari’s Owners Club take to the Hill

The Ferrari’s Owners Club had a couple of extra competitors joining in to those that had taken to the track on Saturday as part of the Superformance Ferrari Hillclimb Championship.

The BHC meeting is a little different from the normal Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship. The competitors get a couple of practices runs, then a timed run before the fastest top twelve competitors, take part in a Run-off for British Hillclimb Championship points but only the top ten are awarded Championship points, for Round five. This is then repeated in the afternoon for Round six.

Run-off 1.

Both Will Hall and Matt Ryder qualified with a 47.61 seconds but Matt had issues with the car again and finished in twelve place and no championship points. Harewood regular Dave Tatham driving his DJ Firehawk managed to take a point in Run-off 1 and then scored two points in Run-off 2, with fellow Harewood regular Stephen Owen driving the works OMS 28 RPE, also claiming a BHC point.

Full Results for Round five of the BHC. Event Results

Some good news for Matt Ryder, who managed to take the ten points for a win in the Run-off 2 from Will Hall, who claimed nine points and Wallace Menzies taking eight points.

Full Results for Round six of the BHC – Run-off 2.

BHC Round Six Event Results

Leaving Harewood Hill after the Harewood Open Hillclimb and May British Hillclimb Championship, Will Hall now takes a six point Championship lead. Matt Ryder and Wallace Menzies are in joint second place.

The BHC are next in action at Gurston Down on 23^rd and 24^th May and also visit Shelsley Walsh and Doune before returning to the Yorkshire hill over the weekend of 4^th and 5^th July, when competitors taking part in the BHC Tin Top Challenge also visit Harewood Hill.

Class Records.

James Hudson driving a Subaru Impreza set a new Class Record for Class A3, Road Cars series production 4WD, any engine capacity.

Rob Samuels driving a Ferrari 458 Speciale set a new Class Record for Class 10, Ferrari Owners Club.

Fastest ladies

Fastest ladies up the hill went to hill record holder, Nicola Menzies driving a Gould GR55B, with a time of 53.96, with Emma Rayson driving an Empire 00, who set a time of 55.20.

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2026 Harewood Hillclimb Events Calendar

Key:Blue = Non-Harewood Championship events

• 6 June – Summer Championship
• 7 June – Jim Thomson
• 4–5 July – July British Hillclimb Championship
• 1 August – Yorkshire Speed
• 2 August – Montague Burton
• 23 August – Classic & Vintage (VSCC)
• 26 September – Greenwood Cup
• 27 September – Mike Wilson

Harewood Speed Hillclimb Location.

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Many thanks to BARC Yorkshire centre for the opportunity to be track side for the Harewood Open Hillclimb and May British Hillclimb Championship and again for all of 2026. Also not forgetting all the volunteer Marshals, Medical and the Darlington & District Rescue Team, along with all the back office staff without which, the events at Harewood Hill could not take place.

You can contact Chris Bannister of JCB Photography via his social media, website or email him directly.