CRAIGANTLET
Round 3
2nd May 2020
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2023 SEASON PREVIEW
Written by Stuart Webster
Photo: Andrew Le Poidevin
The 2022 BHC season was an absolute classic. With the title only being resolved at the final event at Loton Park in late September, things really could not have been any more exciting. The 2023 BHC presented once again by loyal supporter Avon Tyres, kicks off at the beautiful Cotswold venue of Prescott Hillclimb in Gloucestershire over the weekend of 22nd & 23rd April and things are shaping up for what could be classic all over again.
This article focusses on some of the things to look out for during the 2023 season.
NUMBER 1: WALLACE MENZIES
Car: Gould GR59 – 3.3 Cosworth XD
Reigning Champion Wallace Menzies returns to defend his BHC title and is looking to make it four in a row. Having already secured a hat-trick of British Championships (2019, 2021 & 2022), the 2023 season will see him looking for a fourth title in succession. This is something that has not been achieved since Ken Wharton in the early days of the Championship back in 1951-54.
Wallace is intending to take in the entire 2023 BHC season, including the rounds in Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands. Modifications to the car over the Winter include an engine rebuild by Cosworth and a move from eight to twenty four injectors. This is as it last ran in Wallace’s first big single seater the DJ Firestorm and should really help low down torque delivery. The Gould will of course be running on Avon Tyres for the first time in 2023, which may take a little dialling in during the early rounds. A gearbox assessment has been undertaken by New Techniques and the dampers serviced by Mick Gardner Racing. Wallace tells me that he is also taking a novel approach to improving traction out of slow corners – he has put on a little weight! Time will tell if this little tweak works out. Before the first round of the BHC at Prescott pre-season testing has been completed at Kames Motorsport Circuit South of Glasgow.
Wallace says that he “intends to do the best we can at each event”. If he does manage to win a fourth Championship in succession it will be a massive achievement. It will certainly be no ‘walk in the park’, but with his faithful team of Tom, Duncan and Russ preparing the Gould to such fastidious standards who would bet against him!
Photo: Stuart Wing
NUMBER 2: ALEX SUMMERS
Car: DJ Firestorm – 2.65 Cosworth XD
2022 runner-up Alex Summers returns determined to go one better in 2023. The 2015 BHC Champion is laser focused on winning the Championship once more and will come out of the blocks super-fast at Prescott. Record breaking may prove to be important once again during the 2023 season. Alex did in fact chalk up nine bonus points for breaking the existing outright record during 2022, one more than Wallace managed. It is therefore key that Alex comes out firing at Prescott.
Alex is intending to take in the entire 2023 BHC season, including the rounds in Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands. Alex and the team at DJ Racecars has put a significant amount of work into fixing an issue with rear axle stability, given the struggles that they had with this towards the end of last season. A key part of the rear 3rd spring broke at the August Shelsley which the team was unable to replace like-for-like during the season. This issue contributed to Alex’s spin at Loton Park which consequently resulted in Wallace securing the Championship. The Firestorm will also run on Avon Tyres during the 2023 season. Alex and the team tested the car with Avon Tyres at Curborough last November and worked hard to get the car balanced with them. This gave them the best idea of the value of a change as Alex was still 'in the groove' from the season. Mechanically speaking the car is identical to how it ran during 2022, apart from now running a mechanical fuel pump. This is instead of the electrical system that failed and resulted in a costly no score at Harewood last year. Prior to Prescott the Firestorm has run at the April Loton and Shelsley test days.
Alex always likes to keep fit, even though he says “it may not look like it!!”. His Winter has been focussed more on building his self-designed AFS P4t single seater than anything else. The car is an absolute stunner and ran successfully in public for the first time at the Loton Park test day in March. The intention is that Alex’s wife Debbie will join the top ten in that car over the coming seasons. Debbie is a very fast driver in her own right. It will be interesting to see how this plays out over the coming months and years.
Alex’s aim for 2023 is obvious, a second BHC Championship win, especially given that he has been second for three years running now. With that being said he tells me that he doesn't derive his enjoyment solely from results. He is hoping that the season ahead is as close as ever and that everyone continues to push each other in the usual friendly and banter filled manner! He tells me that he still pinches himself regularly to make sure that he is not dreaming. “Driving these cars is always a massive privilege, even on the difficult days. Winning is great, but Hillclimbing is a massive hoot either way and the current top ten are a great bunch.” Best of luck Alex.
Photos: Ben Lawrence & Stuart Wing
NUMBER 3: SCOTT MORAN
Car: Gould GR59J – 4.0 Judd
With his last BHC Championship win back in 2016, six time former Champion Scott Moran is overdue a seventh. Will 2023 see him pull clear of Hillclimb legend Tony Marsh, who also has six BHC Championship wins? If he does reign victorious Scott would be out on his own at the top. Quite a feat and of course a Hillclimb legend in his own rite too.
Scott intends to compete in a full BHC season, his second sharing with Graham Wynn in the big Gould. Although no major updates or rebuilds to the car have been undertaken, a couple of small aero mods have been completed over the Winter. The car was the fastest and most consistent runner on Avon rubber last season, so there will be no fine tuning to undertake over the first few events. This could be an advantage and should help ‘Scotty’ hit the ground running and score heavily in the early events. It will be very interesting to see how this plays out.
The car has been to Loton and Prescott for the pre-season practice days and also competed at Loton at Easter to get a bit more seat time before the season starts. Scott keeps himself fit. He has been out on the bike (he used to compete at a high level at downhill mountain biking) over the Winter, which along with lots of walking and also little of online racing with a few other Hillclimbers to try and keep the reflexes sharp, should help Scott hit the ground running.
The obvious goal for 2023 is a seventh Championship. Although this is going to be extremely challenging, it's one that Scott is really looking forward to. Another aim is to help co-driver and owner of the Gould Graham Wynn move up the ranks and secure a top ten number for the first time. After a number of near misses, Graham has finished twelfth twice, thirteenth and fourteenth over the last few seasons, could 2023 be the year when it finally happens? Let’s hope so as Graham really deserves it! Good luck both!
Photo: Stuart Wing
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NUMBER 4: TREVOR WILLIS
Car: OMS 28 – 3.2 RPE V8
Three time BHC Champion Trevor Willis will once again take in the complete BHC season in his trusty RPE engined OMS 28. 2022 was a good solid season for Trevor resulting in him finishing fourth overall, his best finish since his last Championship win back in 2018. Trevor’s last run-off win was in 2019. One of his aims for the season ahead will be to put this right!
To celebrate the chassis' tenth birthday it has been given a bit of a face lift. New paint (blue of course, but a different shade) and a general tidy up should make for a slightly different look. Trevor has also undertaken a couple of minor performance mods to help keep him in the mix. A swap to Avon rubber should make things interesting. ‘Scary Trev’ as he is known throughout the sport has already taken part in some early Loton Park events to prepare for Prescott and the season ahead.
He tells me that his goal is to win every round of the championship! A more realistic goal he admits, is to be consistently in the top five and to be a nuisance to all the latest generation cars.
Trevor has honed his fitness over the winter with the aim to “have the level of fitness required to sit in a car for up to 45 seconds!!” Seriously as ever ‘Scary Trev’ will be well worth watching and is sure to be at the sharp end on many occasions throughout the season. A top five position at the end of the season is probably his realistic goal.
Photo: Paul Lawrence
Designers and constructors of lightweight speed hillclimb and sprint cars. DJ also manufacture high quality carbon fibre aerofoils for motorsport and track use.
NUMBER 5: MATTHEW RYDER
Car: Gould GR59J – 4.0 Judd
After a stunning first season in big single seaters Matthew Ryder will return driving the ‘works’ Gould for a full season in 2023. He will be trying very hard to take the next big step. After two run-off victories at Shelsley Walsh and Harewood, the latter secured with a new outright hill record, expectation is high. To help him achieve this experienced preparation expert Antony Lane will be in Matt’s team at all the events during the season. Antony will provide a safe and knowledgeable extra pair of hands! After a relatively quiet 2022 season, Gould co-owner and constructor Sean Gould is also planning to share the car with Matt this year, although it is unclear exactly how many events he will compete in.
No major tweaks have been made to the car over the Winter. The Gould is broadly the same as it finished the 2022 season. No major components have been rebuilt, although a failure at the September Prescott did result in a full gearbox replacement. Hopefully that's all the major component failures out of the way for some time to come now!
On a personal note Matt and his partner Kirsten have moved house over the last few months from Leyland in Lancashire to Faringdon in Oxfordshire. This has certainly added to the challenge of preparing for the season ahead! Pre-season testing has been slotted in, starting with a shakedown at Curborough in March. The Prescott test day on the 1st April and Loton Park at Easter were also on the agenda.
Matt tells me that his goal is to better his number five from the 2022 season. I have a sneaky suspicion that he will do a lot better than this. The car ran on Avon rubber for the entire 2022 season which should give Matt the advantage of a sorted and predictable car in the early events. Matt’s silky smooth driving style is well worth watching. Rarely does it look like he has posted a competitive time. The clock never lies though!! Matt’s lack of experience at Doune, Loton and Val des Terres, Guernsey cost him points last year. Some more consistency now that he is used to the car should really help him push on. Realistically a top three finish is well within Matt’s grasp. Let’s see how the season develops. Definitely one to watch!
Photo: Stuart Wing
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NUMBER 6: DAVE UREN
Car: Gould GR55B – 3.5 Nicholson McLaren V8
Dave Uren finished an up and down 2022 season in sixth place overall. Highlights were run-off wins at Shelsley Walsh in June and a weather influenced win at Prescott in September. This shows that when things are good, Dave can really get in amongst the top runners. Dave would however admit that there were too many days during the 2022 season when, for whatever reason, he was not in the mix. A switch to Avon rubber towards the end of the season probably did not help. Will he find a set up that enables his Avon Tyres to work to his liking in 2023? If he does a top five overall finish is certainly a possibility.
Dave shares the Gould with BHC Champion Wallace Menzies’ wife Nicola. Nicola regularly kept Dave honest last season, qualifying for run-offs on an impressive nine occasions and scoring points in four of them. This resulted in her finishing as the top female competitor over the entire 2022 BHC season. Can she push for that top ten number in 2023? She certainly has the speed.
Photo: Stuart Wing
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NUMBER 7: RICHARD SPEDDING
Car: GWR Raptor 2 – 1.6 Mistral
Richard is once again intending to do a full BHC season. As the highest placed driver of a smaller engined car, Richard will be trying to make a nuisance of himself by regularly getting in amongst the more powerful cars.
Some small improvements to the car zircotec ceramic coating to the exhaust have been completed over the Winter in order to manage engine compartment temperatures. A professional seat has also been produced by the beaded seat company. As they had just made Stoffel Vandoorne's Formula E seat Richard thought he would let him have a go at one for him too!
Mistral Performance have completed an engine rebuild of the ‘works’ engine. After a dabble with a turbocharger a couple of seasons ago, Richard switched back to a normally aspirated Suzuki based engine last season. The resulting improved reliability helped Richard to score BHC points on an impressive twenty three occasions during the 2022 season. Richard will be hoping to transfer his usual good form from the Channel Islands back to Mainland to help him push on and perhaps challenge for a top five BHC finish overall.
Pre-season has seen Richard and the Raptor travel to the Harewood and Prescott test days. He also competed at Loton Park over the Easter weekend. Richard has taken his pre-season fitness campaign very seriously. A little bit of personal weight loss and he tells me that one side of the zip has met the other set of teeth for the first time in many years without the “tension of an F15 fighter setting off a harpoon”!
Richard’s main goal for the season ahead is to worry the big engined cars from time to time and to push the class records at as many venues as is possible. A top five finish is certainly a possibility and given the right circumstances a repeat of his third place finish overall in 2017 would be a fabulous achievement.
Photo: Paul Lawrence
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NUMBER 8: PAUL HAIMES
Car: Gould GR59 – 1.3 Suzuki Hayabusa Turbo
After a BHC best finish of seventh in 2021, Paul suffered from a few minor reliability issues during 2022 resulting in an overall eighth place finish. 2023 will see Paul competing in the BHC for the eighteenth season and again he is intending to take in a full season.
The little Gould really is a pocket rocket, churning out immense horsepower from its 1.3 litre Suzuki Hayabusa based turbocharged engine. The power to weight ratio of the car allow Paul to perform occasional giant killing acts when track conditions are tricky, as witnessed by a second place overall at Prescott in 2022 and third place overall at Wiscombe the previous season.
All major components have been rebuilt over the winter by RLM. A new turbo, wastegate, exhaust system and plenum (plenum expertly made by fellow competitor and expert engineer Trevor Willis…!) make up the major modifications completed. The intent is to improve driveability - not horsepower. If theory turns into reality this should really help Paul push on in the season ahead. It should help consistency too, which was a little bit of an issue during 2022.
A pre-season shakedown was completed at Curborough back in March. The car ran on Avon Tyres throughout the 2022 season which should help Paul hit the track running in the season ahead. Watch out for some good results early season if it all comes together.
Paul tells me that he is “just a year older and wiser”. He is a focussed competitor however, and although he tells me that his aim is to retain a top ten number, I think that he can do a little better. Maybe a best ever sixth is a possibility if the stars are aligned. Whatever happens Paul is always good value to watch as he attacks. Watch out for the blue and white pocket rocket at Prescott!
Photo: David Baxter
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NUMBER 9: DAVID WARBURTON
Car: Gould GR59 – 1.6 Suzuki Hayabusa
Dave has established himself as a regular top ten ‘number’ over the last few seasons. After securing the coveted number ten back in 2019 he has finished ninth for the last two seasons. There is no doubt that he pushes the little Gould to the limit, as he is regularly on the rev limiter looking for extra horsepower at the faster venues.
Dave intends to compete in the full 2023 BHC season including both the Northern Ireland and Channel Islands rounds. Both engine and gearbox have been fully rebuilt over the winter and the list of modifications is extensive. The major changes revolve around a change to methanol fuel. This should result in an extra 15-20 horsepower and therefore a little more speed everywhere. Historically he has been short of horsepower when compared to the majority of his class. Running methanal should resolve this. Methanol fuel has however required a redevelopment of the fuel rail bracketry, once again designed and manufactured by fellow competitor and expert engineer Trevor Willis. This modification will allow for the easier removal of the fuel injectors when a possible problem occurs. Without these new brackets removal of the injectors would mean taking the engine out, thus ruining a weekend.
Pre-season testing was completed at Curborough in March. Dave has also competed in a couple of early season events to remove the rust (on himself of course!) and get used to the new developments. He has also undertaken a little strength training over the winter to keep himself sharp. The new season should see him lose a little body weight and return to his best weight for competition. On a personal note Dave got engaged to partner Nadia in February this year. Congratulations both!
Dave tells me that his goals are to “improve on my times from last year, try and stay around the top of the class and stay in the BHC top ten”. If the extra power translates into track time Dave could well be fighting for a best ever eighth overall during the new season. Whatever happens Dave is always exciting to watch. With a brace of tenth place run-off finishes, Prescott was not that kind to him last year. A damp weather sixth in September demonstrated his potential though. What will this year bring?
Photo: Ben Lawrence
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NUMBER 10: STUART SUGDEN
Car: GWR Raptor – 1.6 Mistral Suzuki
After a quite brilliant run of scores at the September Prescott, Stuart managed to secure his first permanent top ten number in 2022. Having only competed in the BHC for two seasons this is quite an achievement for the renewable energy installation expert from Banchory in Aberdeenshire. Having just moved house and therefore in the process of renovating his new property Stuart is unlikely to compete in a full season of BHC events in 2023. This will definitely put Stuart at a disadvantage in his quest to retain a top ten number during the season.
Besides a standard rebuild and ‘tidy up’ there have been no major modifications to the Raptor over the winter. The only changes of note are modifications to suit the new tyre sizes that the car will have to run this season. The Mistral engine has however had a check over and refresh/rebuild. Stuart does not have any pre-season testing planned but will compete in some early season events in Scotland as part of his preparation and to see how the car behaves on its new tyres.
Stuart tells me that he has “not wintered well”! He is sure to be right on it though when the BHC visits Doune in Scotland for the BHC rounds in June. Expect him to score well here. His aim is “Just to have a fun year and do some local events and try and catch some BHC events where possible”. His intention is to do the Scottish Hillclimb Championship and hopefully to retain the title for the third consecutive year. He also tells me that he might try and grow a moustache like his co-driver Les Mutch. Those of you that have seen Les will know that this would be a very impressive achievement in itself!
Photo: David Baxter
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ONES TO WATCH...
JOHNATHEN VARLEY
Car: GWR Predator – 2.0 TKD V8
2022 twelfth place finisher Johnathen Varley is planning on doing all the mainland BHC events, so will not be going to the Channel Islands or Northern Ireland. He had a great 2022, his best season yet in his four seasons competing in the BHC. The highlight was a fabulous fourth place finish overall at the September Prescott. This really gave Jon some momentum to his end of season run. Hopefully he can take this form into the season ahead.
Some minor work has been completed to the Predators floor and diffuser over the winter. The gearbox has also been off for checking. The car has been on the rolling road to sort out a mapping issue that made starts less than consistent during 2022. Hopefully this will make it more predictable to get away from the start line in the season ahead.
Testing wise Jon has completed the Harewood and Loton test days in March. He is also trying to lose his winter weight gains with the aim of getting to his race weight of under 80kg for Prescott.
Jon’s goal for the season is to try and get a top ten number for the first time. This may be a big ask with the level of competition around him. Rest assured if he doesn’t reach his goal, it won’t be for the want of trying! A fast start at Prescott and good points is therefore a must.
Photo: David Baxter
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ALLAN MCDONALD
Car: Force SR4 – Suzuki
Former Mini Evo driver Allan McDonald has bitten the bullet and purchased a new car over the winter. He has bought the ex-Rob Stevens Force Sports Racing Car fitted with a supercharged Suzuki engine and will be hoping to ‘worry’ the regular BHC point scorers as he takes part in a full BHC season except for the Channel Islands rounds.
Since purchasing the car Allan has produced new bodywork and given the car a full service which included replacing rose joints, brakes and drive chain. The engine has also been rebuilt with new pistons and after a brief test at Curborough and Kames in Scotland he is ready for the season ahead. He is even trying to reduce his personal weight a little!
Allan is “looking forward to enjoying the challenge of driving a new and completely different car with considerable horsepower and improving throughout the year”. He is hoping the Force will be as much fun as his previous car, the crowd pleasing Mini Evo. Allan qualified the Mini for BHC run-offs on a couple of previous occasions. Watch out for him at Craigantlet in Northern Ireland where I predict that he might just score his first ever BHC point!
With 2018 BHC runner up Will Hall set to debut his new Judd engined Gould GR59, the battle at the top is sure to be even more intense. Jerseyman Jason Mourant could be back out too in his Judd engined Gould GR55 for the first time post pandemic. The signs look very good.
Photo: Allan McDonald
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