Important Update from Nova Motorsport

Nova Motorsport, which is in its second year of sponsoring the British Hillclimb Championship (BHC), would like to update competitors on the future supply of Avon and Nova hillclimb tyres, which will hit the tracks later this year.

Nova Motorsport – A New Brand with Unparalleled Heritage and Experience

We hope you are enjoying a successful start to the 2025 BHC Presented by Nova Motorsport.

We understand how important the supply of Avon’s multi-championship-winning tyre products is to all competitors, and we would like to thank you for your patience.

But it is equally important to understand that had it not been for the launch of Nova Motorsport in January 2024, there would be no new Avon Motorsport tyres coming at all. The hillclimb tyre that has taken so many BHC Championships over the years would therefore have faded into history. This is not something that we were prepared to let happen This factor was at the centre of the decision to form the Nova Motorsport business.

For those unfamiliar with us, Nova Motorsport is a new, global motorsport brand headquartered in the United Kingdom. We hold the assets, including the brand licence for the manufacture and sale of a broad range of motorsport tyres under the ‘Avon Motorsport’ name. Nova Motorsport is very proud to continue the longstanding relationship between Avon and the BHC, and we demonstrated our commitment by signing a long-term sponsorship agreement with the series in 2024.

A Team That Knows the Sport, the Competitors, and the Tyres

Nova Motorsport has assembled a strong and experienced technical, manufacturing and commercial team, and its members bring decades of experience from their former roles at Avon Motorsport. The team is led by Commercial Director James Weekley and supported by Technical Sales and Marketing Manager Daniel Stanton. Our Product Category Manager, Jack Price, has unmatched expertise in the field of hillclimb tyres. As many of you will know, Jack has attended in a support and advisory role at most rounds of the championship for the past seven seasons.

Fully Committed to the Long-term Future of British Hillclimbing

Nova Motorsport would like to reassure all competitors, in no uncertain terms, that we are fully committed to the BHC and the supply of Avon Motorsport tyres and new Nova Motorsport products.

Since launching the company, we have moved as rapidly as possible to preserve the Avon Motorsport legacy and tyres for competitors. With the closure of Avon’s former Melksham factory, a €20 million investment has been required, and a new production centre has been established in Palmeira, Portugal, with an annual production capacity of over 500,000 tyres.

Quality of tyre performance stands at the cornerstone of everything Nova Motorsport does. We are not prepared to launch any product unless it matches the multi-championship-winning standards of the Avon Motorsport tyres produced in Melksham.

While it may appear to some that Nova Motorsport has favoured other categories over hillclimb, this is not the case. Due to their ultra-soft compound, hillclimb tyres are among the most technically challenging in our portfolio to manufacture. To ensure optimum quality at the Portuguese factory, we have invested in new technology, including new, state-of-the-art compound mixers, and this has taken time to acquire, install and test.

Current Tyre Availability

Before we provide details on future supply, we would like to remind you that BMTR directly holds the residual Avon Motorsport BHC stock in the UK. Once all of that stock has been sold, all sales will be transitioned directly to Nova Motorsport.

Start of Production: July 2025

Avon Motorsport will begin production of BHC-specification tyres in Palmeira in July; however, it is crucial to understand that this does not mean the tyres will be immediately available to customers. Before that happens, we must conduct an intensive testing programme to ensure that the performance and quality of the new tyres match that of the Avon Motorsport tyres produced in Melksham.

Once testing is complete, availability of key BHC tyres, including 13” radial/840 compound/HC3, will gradually increase during the second half of 2025.

Trackside Customer Service

As stock becomes available, Nova Motorsport will begin offering trackside services to competitors at selected BHC events this year. Currently, we provisionally plan to launch this service at Shelsley Walsh on the 9th and 10th August.

British hillclimbing will be the first and so far, the only motorsport discipline where Nova Motorsport is providing a direct, factory sales and fitting service. In 2026, this support will be extended further at key events that will be outlined at the start of the year. Alongside a continued ramp-up of product availability, Nova Motorsport will maintain its ongoing commitment to the BHC and its competitors. 

We are also investing in a media campaign to create content that celebrates the BHC and its competitors to extend the reach of the sport to a wider audience.

Future developments

Today we are focused on bringing back the Avon Motorsport hillclimb range of tyres, with a considerable amount of hard work and long hours going into that task. Once that is complete, we will not rest, and the development process for new tyres will commence. New compounds and innovative constructions will be developed and produced to keep the hillclimb world at the cutting edge of tyre technology.

For more information, visit www.novamotorsport.com or follow us on LinkedIn,  Facebook, Instagram.