Tag: JCB Photography

Classic & Vintage and Jim Thomson Hillclimb.

The Classic & Vintage and Jim Thomson Hillclimbs were organised by the British Automobile Racing Club (BARC) Yorkshire Centre over the weekend of the 7^th and 8^th June 2025. The event would see a vast difference in classes of cars. From the dawn of motoring on Saturday right through to the modern hot hatches of today, on Sunday.

Classic & Vintage Hillclimb

The first was for the Vintage Sports-Car Club (VSCC), founded in 1934 for owners and competitors to enjoy pre-war cars both competitively and socially. The club is active in most forms of motoring and motorsport for these pre-war cars. With events such as Racing, Sprints, Road Rallies, Trails, driving tests and the event on Saturday a hillclimb at Harewood Hill.

The cars that took part in the hillclimb from the VSCC (Vintage part) included cars from the Edwardian era, 1908 to 1919 right through to around 1961. This would also included Sports Racing cars from the 1950’s, Formula Junior cars and Grand Prix single seater Racing cars built before 1961. 

Vintage road cars have very little in the way of protection. Modern safety helmets are worn with a race suit but the most of the cars are not even fitted with seat belts.

Also joining members of the VSCC on the Saturday, included the following invited clubs (for the Classic part), Austin Healey Club, Classic Marques Sports Car Club and a couple of drivers from the Aston Martin Owners Club. Along with a number of Harewood regular drivers, who would be out for some fun. This event wasn’t part of the Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship. The Harewood Championship contenders would appear on the Sunday, with a totally different event.

Saturday Harewood Hillclimb

Saturday was cloudy and we had a couple of heavy showers but still managed to get in both practice runs and a timed run before the lunch break. The track conditions in the afternoon improved and the organisers had hoped to be able to get in a fourth timed run but just run out of time. 

A couple of Class records were set during the meeting. In Class V1 for Standard and Modified Sports Cars and Saloons, up to 750cc non supercharged. This record had stood since 4^th June 2011 and was beaten by William Marsh driving an Austin 7 Ulster.

Class V11 for Special Sports Cars and Saloon Cars over 3000cc non supercharged and over 2250cc supercharged. Again this record had stood since 4^th June 2011 and was beaten by Wilfred Cawley driving a GN Ford Piglet.

Class C19  for Classic Saloon Cars built up to and including 1972. This record had stood since 1^st June 2019  and was beaten by Paul Bewsher driving a Mini Mk3.

Results from the Classic and Vintage Hillclimb are here: Classic and Vintage Hillclimb Results.

Driving his Cooper T90 James Baxter set the Fast Time of the Day in the Classic class.

David Pryke driving a Frazer Nash Shelsley set the Fast Time of the Day for the Vintage class.

Top 4 in Class and Fast Time of the Day (FTD) can be found here: FTD & Top 4 In Class.

Sunday Jim Thomson Hillclimb.

Sunday was a part reset of the competitors with the Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship. Alongside more drivers from the Aston Martin Owners Club joining in with the Morgan Sports Car Club. Also competitors from the Austin Healey Club and Classic Marques Sports Car Club. 

Sunday was mainly dry though we did have a couple of showers but with a cold breeze but the breeze did help to dry the track out. Two practice runs were completed before the lunch break, after a number of red flags due to a number of competitors getting a wheel or two onto the grass. The track offered very little grip, after the showers.

This unfortunately resulting in a couple of cars hitting the barriers and the cars coming off worst. Thankfully, the drivers after being checked out by the medics were given the all clear. Though the drivers would be busy after the meeting  repairing the cars.

Doug Mitchell

This included the VW UP of Harewood Championship leader Adam Riley. Adam shares the car with Doug Mitchell. It was Doug who was driving, during his third timed run, he went on to the grass, hit the tyres and Armco coming out of Farmhouse bend. Assisted by the Marshals, Doug slowly drove up the track afterwards. Adam didn’t take his third timed run but still manages to hold onto the Championship lead.

Henry Moorhouse

Henry Moorhouse driving his Honda powered Westfield, went straight on going into the Esse’s. Taking to the grass during his first timed run. However, he still managed to hold on to second place in the Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship.

Meanwhile James Hudson driving his Subaru Impreza now moves up to third place. There is less than half a point separating him and Mark Teale driving a Suzuki Swift in fourth place.

Results

Full Results from the Jim Thomson Hillclimb can be found here: Sunday 08 June 2025 — Jim Thomson Hillclimb.

Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship Standings can be found here: Harewood Championship.

In the Fastest Time of the Day (FTD) was taken by Mark Hemingway driving a Force TA. John Prickett driving his Radical PR6 taking second and Stephen Owen (not the owner of OMS cars) driving a Westfield 7 taking 3^rd.

Wallace Menzies still leads the FTD Award Series with John Prickett in second and Matt Ryder in joint third place with Mark Hemingway. Both Wallace and Matt are British Hillclimb Championship contenders. Both drivers should be back at Harewood Hill at the beginning of July, for the second visit to Harewood Hill.

With dropped scores and still five Harewood Speed Hillclimb Championship events still to take place, both John and Mark could certainty move up in the Harewood Championship.

Harewood FTD Award Series results can be found here: BARC Harewood FTD Award Series

Harewood Speed Hillclimb.

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.

Next events at Harewood Hill will be for the British Hillclimb Championship on 5^th and 6^th July. This will be the British Hillclimb competitors second visit to hill in the 2025 season.

While the Harewood Championship competitors will be back on the Yorkshire hill over the weekend of 2^nd and 3^rd August. Competing at the Yorkshire Speed and Montague Burton Hillclimb meetings.

Nicola Menzies driving a Gould GR55B set the ladies Hill record at 50.74 secs on the 03/07/2022.

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Previous reports by JCB Photography 2025.