Name: Jack Cottrill
Home Town: Worcester
Competition Car: DJ Dallara – Cosworth XD
Starting Out:
Twenty three year old Jack was brought up within the Hillclimb world. His Mum & Dad, Nicki and John, have been active competitors for many years. John started competing with an MG, then quickly moved into a classic Lotus Elan. Both John and Nicki have competed most recently in single-seaters, driving a Brabham and a more modern Pilbeam. Jack has therefore attended many an event, both in the Midlands and further afield.
Having seen the fun from the spectator side of the fence Jack was inspired to get behind the wheel in competition just as soon as he could. In 2015, at the age of just sixteen, and obviously before he could take his driving test, Jack was out competing in speed events in a Raw Striker kit-car in the road-going class. Fitted with a Toyota engine out of a Celica, the car was ideal for him to learn the ropes, mainly at the Midland venues of Loton Park, Prescott, Curborough and of course his local venue, Shelsley Walsh.
This gave Jack the perfect grounding in the sport and a taste for something a little faster. A Force PT with an 1100cc motorcycle engine was therefore purchased and the first steps into the world of single seater race cars, slick tyres, wings and downforce were taken. Success followed with a fifth and sixth place overall in the Midland Championship run-offs at Shelsley Walsh being the highlight of the first couple of years.
BHC Experience:
Jack entered the British Hillclimb Championship (BHC) presented by Avon Tyres for the first time back in 2018. He qualified for his first BHC run-off that year at Doune, which resulted in an eleventh place finish. The following year Jack qualified in the Force again, this time at Loton Park finishing twelfth. Not bad, as this was of course achieved with a small motorcycle engined single-seater. Things looked promising.
This initial success indicated that with the right car Jack would have the speed to qualify and score BHC points on a regular basis. Plans were therefore hatched over 2020 to move into the big single seater class. A Dallara tub and an ex-IndyCar Cosworth XD engine were purchased. DJ Racecars in the Peak District were commissioned to make the necessary modifications to fit the engine and turn the package into a modern Hillclimb single seater race car.
And what a great job DJ have done. The car looks fantastic and after overcoming some initial teething issues, Jack started to use the 500 plus horsepower under his right foot, qualifying for BHC run-offs regularly towards the end of the 2021 season and scoring points too. A double points score for ninth and tenth place finishes at the August Shelsley Walsh were followed a few weeks later by two ninth places at the September Prescott. The potential was now truly starting to show and bodes well for the 2022 season ahead.
Jack’s goal for the 2022 season is to secure a position in the top ten overall and a permanent number. He is intending to compete in all of the ‘mainland’ rounds, missing out on traveling ‘abroad’ to Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands.
Non-motorsport fact:
When Jack was younger, he used to go to taekwondo lessons and worked his way up to a black belt. He doesn’t do taekwondo any more due to hillclimbing taking up all his spare time! Even so, don’t mess with Jack!
Gurston Down Fact:
Scoring points early in the 2022 season is of vital importance for Jack. The “double header” weekend at Gurston Down on 28th & 29th May is therefore an important one in his quest to secure that top ten number. The medium and fast corners and fast flowing nature of Gurston suit Jack’s style. Come and see how he gets on. Competitive action is scheduled to start at 8.30am on both days and will continue for the majority of the day. Advance tickets can be purchased by clicking on the button below.