Summer Championship Hillclimb and Jim Thomson Hillclimb Championship.

Summer Championship Hillclimb – Saturday

British Automobile Racing Club (BARC) Yorkshire Centre organised another weekend of action for the BARC Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship and BARC Harewood Speed Hillclimb Fastest Time of the Day Award Series (FTD) over the weekend of 6^th and 7^th June.

Joining the Harewood Championship regulars were competitors from the following car clubs and Championships Austin Healey Club, Aston Martin Owners Club and the Classic Marques Speed Challenge, making a full entry list of 150 competitors.

Austin Healey

Aston Martin

Only two Practice runs were completed before a late lunch break due to several competitors needing to be recovered and a couple of timing issues. With rain on and off throughout the day, making it difficult for the competitors to find the right balance between staying on the track or having a moment, though the track did finally dry out.

So far this year we have not seen Adam Riley, the Harewood Speed Hillclimb Champion of 2025, on the famous Yorkshire Hill. Adam, we do know has bought his Championship winning Honda S2000, though this needs a quiet a bit of work so perhaps next year. However his father- in-law, Doug Mitchell was taking part on both day’s in the championship winning VW UP that he shared with Adam in 2025. This car in Doug’s hands, won Class 1A, for Road Cars Series Production up to and including 1400cc on both days.

Full Results for Summer Championship Hillclimb Timed Runs

Harewood Speed Hillclimb – Fastest Time of the Day

Fastest Time of the Day (FTD) went to John Prickett driving his Radical PR6 who set a time of 56.81 seconds and was the only driver to set a time under 57 seconds in the ever changing track conditions. Though it was Dave Banner who laid down a time of 57.01 before John took to the hill. Dave driving his Megabusa powered Westfield only did one timed run. Anthony Middleton set third fastest driving his Westfield.

Results for FTD and Top four in Class

Jim Thomson Hillclimb

Morgan

The Aston Martin Owners Club where not in action today but the Morgan Sports Car Club Competitors replaced them, with the Classic Marques Speed Challenge and Austin Healey Club competitors returning to the Yorkshire hill, making another full entry list of 150 competitors, taking to the track with much better conditions than Saturday.

Classic Marques

Austin Healey

Again only the two Practice runs were completed before the lunch break in much better conditions than yesterday, though we had a brief shower mid afternoon and the organisers managed to get a third time run in for the championships regulations which state that competitors can do more than the two timed runs during an event. This was despite a long oil spill which run up most of the track and the marshals had to spend sometime dressing it before a track inspection by the Clerk of the Course, who gave the go ahead for competitors to continue their timed runs.

A New Class Record was set by Haydn Spedding in his Jaguar E type for Class 3C, which is for Modified Cars – Series Production over 2000cc and 2 wheel drive.

Harewood Championship

Mark Teale driving his Modified Suzuki Swift GTi, still leads the Harewood Championship with Gordon Riley now in second place driving his Suzuki Swift and James Hudson in his Subaru Impreza in third place.

It was Glyn Maignard driving his OMS 2000M, who set the FTD, with a time of 56.16 seconds. This was quiet an achievement as it was Glyn’s first time at Harewood Hill. Robin Wood driving his Force PT set a time of 56.34 and John Prickett driving his Radical PR6 set a time of 57.08 seconds.

Full Results for the Jim Thomson Hillclimb Timed Runs

Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship standings after Jim Thomson Hillclimb

Harewood Fastest Time of the Day Awards Series after Jim Thomson Hillclimb

Many thanks to BARC Yorkshire centre for the opportunity to be track side again in 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.

The British Hillclimb Championship returns for it’s second visit to Harewood Hill on 4^th and 5^th July, while the next Championship event for the Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship takes place over the weekend of the 1^st and 2^nd August.

Remaining Harewood Hill events for 2026.

Key. Dates in Blue are Non Harewood Championship events:

• 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.

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