Harewood Open Hillclimb
Report by Chris Bannister
15 May 2025
Joining the Harewood Open Hillclimb, the Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship competitors would be joined by members from the Ferrari Owners Club. The FOC were taking part in the Ferrari Hillclimb Championship for rounds four and five.
Also joining the Harewood regulars were some of the competitors from the British Hillclimb Championship, who would be using the event as extra practice for Sundays championship event. Saturday’s event had 150 competitors ready to take to the track at the nine o’clock start time under some nice sunshine, which lasted all day.
Saturday Harewood Open Hillclimb.
The day just didn’t seem to flow due to a number of incidents. Keeping the poor marshals and recovery crews busy, including a car which had an issue and left oil on the track.
This made for some interesting photos when the cars restarted after the red flag. Therefore only practice runs were completed before lunch, followed by two timed runs in the afternoon.
With another new class record set in class 1A by 2024 Harewood Speed Hillclimb Champion Adam Riley. Adam shares the car with Doug Mitchell who was second in the class.
Second in the 2025 Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship is now Henry Moorhouse driving his Honda powered Westfield. Wallace Menzies in his Gould GR59 is now third but will be concentrating on the British Hillclimb championship. James Hudson driving the Subaru Impreza drops down to fourth.
Wallace Menzies set the Fast Time of the Day (FTD) in his Gould GR59, with Matt Ryder in setting the second.
Harewood Open Championship Hillclimb results:
Saturday 10 May 2025 — Harewood Open Hillclimb
BARC Harewood FTD Award Series
British Hillclimb Championship.
The first British Hillclimb Championship took place back in 1947 and with 32 different Champions since the start and for 2025 takes place at ten different venues including England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands.
The 2025 championship started in April at Prescott and the final rounds takes place at Loton Park at the end of September. At each of the events there are two Top Twelve run-offs with championship points going to the top ten drivers.
The championship is organised and run by the British Automobile Racing Club (BARC). The Yorkshire Centre runs the Harewood Hillclimb Championship at Harewood Hill, along with four rounds of the British Hillclimb Championship in 2025.
Sunday British Hillclimb Championship.
Matt Ryder returned to Harewood Hill along with the other British Hillclimb Championship (BHC) competitors on Sunday 11th May. He started his defence of winning his first Championship title in 2024 at rounds one and two of the BHC which took place over the weekend of 26th and 27th April at Prescott Hillclimb. Matt will again be driving the Judd engined Gould GR59, that he shares with chassis constructor Sean Gould in 2025.
2024 runner up Alex Summers was not at Harewood this weekend. Alex will only be competing in events, in and around the Midlands venues during 2025 after he and his wife welcomed a new baby son.
Third in the 2024 BHC was Will Hall. Will is driving another Judd engined Gould GR59. 2024 was Will’s best season since 2018, when he came second in the BHC to Trevor Willis. Will won the first run off at Prescott in April. Round two of the championship, also at Prescott was won by Matt Ryder.
Craigntlet Hillclimb.
However after the first two rounds at Prescott, Will Hall, Matt Ryder and Wallace Menzies all had eighteen points apiece before the Championship crossed the Irish sea to Northern Ireland for the closed public roads of Craigntlet Hillclimb on Saturday 3rd May, for rounds three and four.
Both rounds were won by Matt Ryder but it was close in both rounds. He won round three from Will Hall by nine one hundredths of a second and by the same amount in round four but this time from Wallace Menzies. This leaves Matt with a three point lead over Will and Wallace who are in joint second position going into these next two rounds at Harewood Hill.
The BHC made its first 2025 appearance at Harewood Hill on Sunday 11th May for rounds five and six. The Championship will return to Harewood Hill on 5th and 6th July. Sunday morning again was nice and sunny, so conditions looked right for the possibility of the hill record to fall as the competition had been very close at the earlier rounds.
Harewood Open Hillclimb Results.
After the two timed runs the top twelve competitors would be timed against the clock for championship points, though only the top ten would be awarded points from 10 down to one point for tenth.
Round Five.
1st Wallace Menzies Gould GR59.
2nd Matt Ryder Gould GR59J.
3rd Sean Gould Gould GR59J.
4th Will Hall Gould GR59 Judd.
Round Six
1st Matt Ryder Gould GR59J.
2nd Wallace Menzies Gould GR59.
3rd Trevor Willis OMS 28.
However Will Hall went off into the grass on the outside of Country corner, during his second timed run, which resulted in a failed run and therefore did not set a time to make it into the second Top 12 Run-off for British Hillclimb championship points.
Though Wallace Menzies set the overall Fastest Time of the Day (FTD) on Sunday it is Matt Ryder that leaves Harewood Hill with a three points championship lead over Wallace, with Will Hall still managing to hold on to third, though now twelve points down, with Trevor Willis in fourth.
Full Results from the British Hillclimb Championship.
British Hillclimb Championship Standings after Harewood.
The Championship now visits Gurston Down on 24th and 25th May, Shelsley Walsh on 7th and 8th June. Crossing over the Scottish border to Doune before returning to Harewood Hill over the weekend of 5th and 6th July.
Many thanks to BARC Yorkshire centre for the opportunity to be track side. Also not forgetting all the Marshals, Medical and the Darlington and District Rescue team. Along with all the back office staff without which the events at Harewood Hill could not take place.
Harewood Events.
The next event at Harewood Hill takes place over the weekend of 7th and 8th June. Saturday is part of the Harewood Championship, with the Jim Thomson Hillclimb and the Vintage and Classic Car Club Hillclimb meeting follows on the Sunday.
Harewood Speed Hillclimb course track details.
Harewood Speed Hillclimb is located between the villages of Harewood and Collingham just off the A659. SatNav postcode LS17 9LA. What Three Words. admit.uncle.piston
Harewood Hillclimb is the longest speed hillclimb in mainland UK with a track length of 1448 metres. The all tarmac track is set against the beautiful backdrop of the Wharfedale valley in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire.
The fastest cars can complete the course in under 50 seconds with top speeds in excess of 130 mph.
Harewood Hillclimb record is 46.39 secs. set by Matthew Ryder driving a Gould GR59J on 03/07/2022.
Ladies Hill record is 50.74 secs. set by Nicola Menzies driving a Gould GR55B on 03/07/2022.
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