CRAIGANTLET
Round 3
2nd May 2020
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2022 SEASON REVIEW PART ONE
Written by Stuart Webster
WEEKEND ONE
Prescott » 23/24 April
SCOTT MORAN, ALEX SUMMERS AND MATT RYDER STAR IN STUNNING SEASON OPENER...
On a cool but thankfully dry weekend, Prescott served up an absolute classic, with the battle in the top twelve run-offs proving to be the highlight of the season opener in the British Hillclimb Championship (BHC) presented by Avon Tyres.
The first run-off of the season produced what was one of the tightest battles in living memory, with the top five drivers separated by an incredible one tenth of a second! Top of the pile, his Avon tyres working beautifully, was Scott Moran with a time of 35.99 seconds. Two hundredths of a second behind was Alex Summers in his Cosworth XD engined DJ Firestorm. A fantastic third equal on his debut in the Gould GR59 Judd was Matt Ryder, level to the hundredth of a second with former triple BHC Champion Trevor Willis in his OMS28 - RPE. Reigning BHC Champion Wallace Menzies was probably disappointed to finish in ‘only’ fifth place in his Cosworth XD engined Gould GR59M.
Alex Summers won the second run-off with a great time of 35.43 seconds. Second this time, some two tenths of a second behind after running a little “hot” into the tricky Pardon hairpin and losing time, was Scott Moran. Top qualifier Wallace Menzies faded a little but still ended up third, some half a second behind Scott.
Scott Moran and Alex Summers left Prescott as joint leaders after the opening event of the 2022 BHC. A stunning debut in the ‘works’ Gould by Matt Ryder, for which he deservedly won the ‘man of the meeting’ award, was another highlight, on a day that truly showcased all that is good about the BHC.
Highlight of the action in the class based BHC Cup, presented by Classic Car Insurance Broker Footman James, was a superb performance from the ultra-quick Steve Darley, who was sharing Damien Bradley’s monstrous Avon tyre shod Subaru Legacy. Not only did he manage to beat car owner Damien on both runs but he took a whopping 1.47 seconds off Stephen Moore’s existing class record. Damien also managed to smash the class record but ended up nearly four tenths of a second behind in second place. Another class record breaking performance came from Robert Marwood in his Renault Clio 172. A very promising start to the season for Robert.
This left Steve Darley and Robert Marwood in equal first place overall in the BHC Cup on nineteen points, followed by a squabbling pack of eight drivers one point back in equal third.
Photos: Stuart Wing
WEEKEND TWO
Craigantlet, NI » 30 April
WALLACE MENZIES DOMINATES WITH FABULOUS CRAIGANTLET DOUBLE...
Less than a week later the BHC circus moved 'across the water' to the fast and flowing Craigantlet road course, located on the outskirts of Belfast. Defending BHC Champion Wallace Menzies kickstarted his title defence, winning both run-offs with a dominant performance. On a day which started wet, the rain continued all day, resulting in some very wet and tricky conditions.
The first run-off was won by Wallace Menzies by more than half a second, a country mile when compared to the tight finish in the first run-off of the season at Prescott the previous week! A great run by Alex Summers secured second place by a third of a second from Scott Moran. Joint Craigantlet record holder Dave Uren was a little off the pace in the wet, finishing nearly a second back in fourth in his Nicholson McLaren engined Gould GR55.
The second run-off produced another victory for Wallace, this time by an increased margin of just over three quarters of a
second. The tables were turned between Alex Summers and Scott Moran, with Scott securing second place, nearly half a second ahead of Alex. Trevor Willis managed to secure fourth by the tiny margin of five one hundredths of a second from the consistent Dave Uren.
Leaving Craigantlet, Scott Moran and Alex Summers remained joint leaders of the 2022 BHC on thirty six points, but now had Wallace Menzies ‘breathing down their necks’ just two points behind on thirty four.
Double winner Wallace Menzies said “ The Avon wets were most definitely the best tyres for the conditions. After a frustrating weekend at Prescott, it is nice to kick- start the season ahead. The competition at the top is very close with at least half a dozen drivers in with a shout for the win. I am looking forward to doing it all again at Harewood this coming weekend.”
Photos: Mark Webb
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WEEKEND THREE
Harewood » 7/8 May
WALLACE MENZIES STARS ON RECORD BREAKING DAY...
So it was a week later when the BHC contenders descended upon the fantastic Harewood Hillclimb in Yorkshire. On a dry track which got warmer as the day went on, the run-offs showcased once again, the fine margins that made the 2022 season so exciting. Wallace Menzies broke the outright hill record four times as he ended the weekend leading the BHC for the first time in the 2022 season.
The first run-off saw the outright record broken on three separate occasions. After Wallace Menzies had taken a quarter of a second off the record on his first timed run, the action really got hot when the final four drivers came to the line. First to break the record with a silky smooth run, was fourth fastest qualifier Matt Ryder. His time of 47.39 taking another fourteen one hundredths of a second off Wallace’s new record. Next to run was Alex Summers who could not quite match Matt’s new record. After starring in practice with sub record times, Alex must have been disappointed to finish three tenths behind in ‘only’ fourth place. Next up was Scott Moran, his super-fast run being rewarded with a stunning 47.05 – another new record! Scott must have thought that the win was his. That is until final runner Wallace Menzies left the line and put together a stunning run to stop the clock in a new record time of forty seven seconds exactly. This really was British Hillclimbing at its very best!
The second run-off produced another new outright record and victory for Wallace, taking the record into the 46 second bracket with a time of 46.86 seconds. Second was a very determined Alex Summers with his best run of the weekend of 47.15 seconds. Alex
was just four hundredths of a second clear of Matt Ryder who took another two tenths of a second off his personal best. Scott Moran faded a little, finishing fourth with a time of 49.46 seconds, probably a little disappointed to be nearly four tenths slower than his first run-off time.
Menzies now stood on top of the Championship table with a two point lead over the inseparable Summers and Moran in equal second.
In the classes it was another record breaking day for the amazing Avon shod Subaru of Damien Bradley and Steve Darley. Both drivers were over a second under the existing record with Steve coming out on top by over four tenths of second with a stunning time of 57.30 seconds. Other class records fell during the day to pre-event BHC Cup leader Robert Marwood in his Renault Clio 172. David Leach in his little Lotus Elise did however beat Robert on the second timed runs, both running under the existing class record. This left the door open for Lee Griffiths to take the overall lead of the BHC Cup with two excellent class record breaking timed runs in his 1660cc engined OMS 28.
Double winner and now 2022 BHC Championship leader Wallace Menzies said “ A cracking weekend with the outright records falling so many times to different drivers. Matt Ryder is making driving a big single-seater look much too easy as well! It’s an important weekend for all of us at Gurston Down in a couple of weeks’ time. I’m looking forward to it!”.
Photos: Paul & Ben Lawrence
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WEEKEND FOUR
Gurston Down Double Header » 28/29 May
ALEX SUMMERS TAKES BHC CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD AND SETS NEW OUTRIGHT RECORD...
Two weeks later and the BHC circus moved to the fast and challenging Gurston Down Hillclimb in Wiltshire for the first double header weekend of the season. On a dry track with only a cold North wind dropping the temperature as Sunday wore on, the leading three put on a fabulous show. Championship challenger Alex Summers broke the outright hill record on both days, as he ended the weekend leading the BHC by himself for the first time in the 2022 season.
The first run-off of the weekend saw the outright record equalled as things really started to hot up. The top three Championship contenders really were in a different league to the rest, with around a second separating them from the other qualifiers. Third fastest qualifier Scott Moran produced a time that he must have thought was a contender for the win when he stopped the clocks at 25.49 seconds. He was to be disappointed though as Alex Summers, carrying massive speed all weekend through the daunting and super quick Hollow bend and Karousel complex, equalled the outright record with a time of 25.34 seconds. After what looked like a super run, fastest qualifier Wallace Menzies finished an agonising six hundredths of a second behind Alex in second place with a time of 25.40 seconds.
The second run-off was another classic, producing a new outright record and victory for Alex, with a blistering time of 25.05 seconds. He was just over a quarter of a second clear of Wallace who was also under the existing record, with a time of 25.32 seconds. Pinching himself in disbelief no doubt and a mere eight hundredths of a second behind Wallace in third place was Scott. It must have been hard to accept that a time so close to the existing record would result in ‘just’ third place. It just goes to show how fine the margins were at the top throughout the 2022 season and how important it was becoming to secure the extra point for breaking the existing outright record.
Sunday dawned dry, but the cold wind kept the temperatures down, particularly later in the day and it looked like record breaking would be difficult. Alex Summers and Wallace Menzies had other ideas though as battle recommenced! Third fastest qualifier Scott Moran posted a time of 25.87 seconds, impressive but some eight tenths of a second outside Alex’s record from the Saturday. With this being good enough for third it looked like times were getting a little slower. Wrong – second fastest qualifier Wallace Menzies took a deep breath and set a time exactly equal to his time in the second run-off on Saturday of 25.32 seconds. Surely this would take the win? Fastest qualifier Alex Summers then came to the line. Stunning speed in the early section of the hill and a beautiful demonstration of carrying speed in the upper section saw another new outright record set
of exactly 25.00 seconds. An absolutely incredible performance from a man, who we should not forget, suffered an enormous accident at Gurston only five years before.
The final run-off of the weekend was then upon us. With track temperature falling away what we would see this time around? Wallace Menzies qualified and finished third. His time of 25.92 seconds his slowest in a run-off of the weekend. Second fastest qualifier Scott Moran was next to the line. Fast down the hill once again and a mind blowing 159mph over the finish line showed his determination to produce a good time. He wasn’t to be disappointed, his time of 25.47 seconds set a high bar for Alex to jump. Alex was quick off the line and into Karousel as he had been all weekend, but it just wasn’t to be, a time of 25.54 seconds leaving him just seven hundredths of a second behind Scott. This was a vital second run-off win for Scott in the 2022 season, which kept him in the fight for overall BHC honours.
After a fantastic weekend of top class motorsport the Championship battle was finely poised. Alex Summers held a slender two point lead from Menzies with Moran a further five points back in third. After a consistent weekend Matt Ryder consolidated his fourth place in the Championship and had a four point lead over Trevor Willis who sat in fifth.
It was all change in the overall positions in the class based BHC Cup. After a class record breaking run on the Saturday to take the overall lead in the Cup overnight, Robert Marwood lost control of his Renault Clio 172 under braking on the approach to Karousel, unfortunately ending up firmly in the Recticel barriers. The resulting damage put him out for the rest of the day and ultimately compromised his season. Allan McDonald took full advantage of this in his amazing four wheel drive Mitsubishi engined ‘Mini’. His four class winning runs and maximum points gave him the overall lead. Young Alex Coles also had a perfect weekend in his Formula Ford Van Diemen RF86 and was starting to show his hand in equal second place overall. Lee Griffiths continued his excellent season with good points once again. A win and three third places in his OMS28 saw him equal with Alex Coles in second overall.
New 2022 BHC Championship leader Alex Summers said “ Gurston hasn’t always been a happy place for me, particularly after my 2017 accident. To win and now hold the outright record is therefore a massive step forward and a monkey off my back. I am a big fan of the double header format. The quick fire nature of the weekend really suits me as I don’t have to relearn the hill and track conditions run after run. It all bodes well for the Shelsley weekend. I’m really looking forward to it!”.
Photos: Paul & Ben Lawrence
WEEKEND FIVE
Shelsley Walsh » 4/5 June
ALEX SUMMERS RETAINS HIS BHC CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD AT A DAMP AND TRICKY SHELSLEY WALSH...
Championship leader Alex Summers retained his narrow two point lead over nearest challenger Wallace Menzies with some mature driving in very tricky conditions as the BHC visited Shelsley Walsh for the first time in the 2022 season. Drivers had to use all of their skills to keep control of their cars on an unseasonably cold and damp day. Unluckiest driver of the weekend was Dave Uren, who after taking a fine first run-off win of the season, caught a sprinkle of rain as he took his second qualification run. Some understeer through the first left hander at Kennel saw him drifting wide and making contact with the Recticel barrier. The resulting wing and front right suspension damage unfortunately brought an early end to what was Dave’s most competitive weekend of the 2022 season so far.
The seasons top three of Summers, Menzies and Moran all qualified well for the first run-off, but had Dave Uren firmly in amongst them in his Nicholson McLaren engined Gould GR55B. Having qualified an unaccustomed fourth, Championship front runner Menzies was first to run of the top contenders. He dug deep, stopping the clocks at 25.29 seconds to set his best time of the weekend so far and secure second place. Scott Moran was next to go, his speed on the approach to the Esses showed just how committed he was. Maybe too committed, as he lost time to finish back in fourth on 25.54 seconds. Dave Uren was next to the line, having qualified a seasons best second. Dave really was trying very hard, fastest of all to Crossing corner and 135mph on Ess approach laid the foundation to what turned into a fantastic time of 25.22 seconds and the lead! So, what could fastest qualifier Alex Summers do? Fastest to Kennel corner after a great start, tidy into the Esses and things were looking good. With time lost through the Esses section though the win was gone, a time of 25.37 seconds and third place behind Wallace and an absolutely delighted Dave Uren.
The second run-off was yet another classic in what was proving to be a fabulous BHC season. Moran qualified fastest, taking advantage of what were probably the best track conditions when he did so. Matt Ryder also took advantage to qualify second, Summers qualified third with Paul Haimes an excellent fourth in
the motorcycle engined Gould GR59. Menzies was back in fifth, catching the beginnings of the sprinkling of the rain that was to claim the unfortunate Dave Uren. In the run-off the drying conditions favoured the big engined cars with Paul Haimes fading a little to finish sixth. Trevor Willis finished fifth with his best time of the day in the Powertec engined OMS28.
Fifth fastest qualifier Menzies again upped the ante, setting the fastest time of the day so far of 24.30 seconds. Third fastest qualifier Alex Summers then came to the line. Fast away and carrying good speed up to the Esses. A clean exit and very early on the power probably made the difference as he stopped the clock on 24.23 seconds, just seven one hundredths of a second clear of Wallace – a fantastic effort in very difficult conditions. Second qualifier Ryder then attacked. Despite the big Gould looking a little ‘pointy’ and nervous at high speed Matt kept his foot in. It was not to be though, a time of 24.60 seconds and a third place finish. Fastest qualifier Scott Moran was last to go. Despite a great start and good speed to the Esses, an untidy exit, including a little brush of the bank, compromised speed on the finishing straight. Scott stopped the clock at 24.60 seconds to finish equal third alongside Matt. Alex had taken the win and the watching crowd were breathless.
Maximum points for two class winning runs in the class based BHC Cup by both Alex Coles (Formula Ford Van Diemen RF86) and Richard Spedding (GWR Raptor 2), closed the gap to pre-event Cup leader Allan McDonald (Mini Evo).
2022 BHC Championship leader Alex Summers said “ The track conditions were definitely tough today. It was really easy to overcook things and make mistakes, so it was a case of making sure that I got to the top each time. I am absolutely gutted for Dave Uren though as I think that if the sprinkling of rain had come at a different time, he would have gone on to win the second run-off too. What a fantastic season we are having. I am already looking forward to the second double header of the season at Doune in a couple of weeks’ time.”.
Photos: Stuart Wing
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WEEKEND SIX
Doune Double Header » 18/19 June
ALEX SUMMERS STARS AT RECORD BREAKING DOUNE DOUBLE-HEADER...
Championship leader Alex Summers had a fantastic weekend at the Doune double header breaking the outright hill record three times, as he extended his lead in the 2022 BHC to eleven points over defending Champion Wallace Menzies. Only a run-off win by six times former Champion Scott Moran, as temperatures cooled on Saturday evening, prevented Alex from having the perfect weekend. With Summers now having extended his Championship lead, the signs were looking ominous for Menzies, Moran and the chasing pack.
The first run-off of the weekend saw the outright record broken by Alex Summers as the weekend started with a bang. Once again, the top three Championship contenders really were in a different league to the rest, with nearly two seconds separating third place finisher Scott Moran from the other qualifiers. Moran’s time of 35.31 seconds, just over six tenths outside Sean Gould’s 2021 outright hill record, was good but was quickly bettered by second fastest qualifier Menzies, who set a time of 35 seconds exactly. The pressure was then on Summers, as Menzies time was a full half a second faster than he had qualified. A stunning 1.94 seconds for the first 64 feet off the start line set Alex on his way. His Cosworth XD engined DJ Firestorm was unmatched all weekend through the lower reaches of the hill, carrying massive speed through the confines of the tunnel section and out onto the Meadow. He was already nearly three quarters of a second up at Junction and flashed through the finish line with a new outright record time of 34.38 seconds, a massive six tenths of a second ahead of Menzies!
With cooler temperatures the second run-off proved to be a different challenge for everyone. The Championship top three again qualified in the top three places. Third fastest qualifier Alex Summers set a great time of 35.38 seconds for the others to chase. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be for second fastest qualifier Wallace Menzies who lost small amounts of time everywhere to post a time of 36.10 seconds. Fastest qualifier Scott Moran then came to the line. Despite being nearly a quarter of a second down on Summers at Junction, Scott excelled through the upper reaches of the hill to stop the clocks at 35.03 seconds. Victory by over three tenths of a second was just reward for a brilliant example of top class Hillclimbing.
Sunday dawned dry and a little warmer than the previous day. Would we see the outright record broken again? The Championship top three once again qualified as 1-2-3. Third fastest qualifier Wallace Menzies was first of the ‘big three’ to run. Fast off the line and a mind bending 120mph through the speed trap showed just how determined Wallace was. The clock stopped at 35.01 seconds, throwing down the gauntlet to both Moran and Summers. Next to the line was second fastest qualifier Scott Moran. His best start of the weekend of 1.93 seconds for the first sixty four feet and a little ahead of Wallace at all points resulted in a personal best time of 34.61 seconds.
This being six one hundredths of a second faster than the 2021 outright record resulted in an extra point for Scott too. Fastest qualifier Alex Summers now knew that his run needed to be near perfect to take the win. A brilliant passage of the lower reaches of the hill resulted in Alex being over half a second clear of Scott at Junction. An amazing 121mph through the speed trap and the clocks stopped at 34.28 seconds for the win. Another new outright record and the extra point that goes with it being the icing on the cake. This really was Hillclimbing at its very best, with the three Championship contenders pushing each other into places that even they did not think they could go!
It was then time for the final run-off of the weekend. Track temperature were a little higher which usually means fast times. What we would see this time around? The ‘big three’ qualified in a different order this time, with Menzies fastest from Summers and Moran a little detached back in third. First to run of the big three, Moran set the benchmark with a great time of 34.82 seconds. Summers was next to the line. The best start of the entire weekend of 1.86 seconds for the first sixty four feet set Alex on his way. This time the lower section speed that he had shown all weekend was married to a super passage of the top section too. The clock stopped and what a time it was, 34.21 seconds and another new outright record for Alex – wow! Fastest qualifier Wallace Menzies then came to the line and with no run-off wins since Harewood he just had to produce. A great start and things were looking promising. Nearly four tenths slower than Alex to Garden Gate however turned into half a second slower by Junction. The pressure looked like it was telling. A scrappy run in the upper reaches of the hill and the time was gone. 35.29 seconds meaning a third place finish and disappointment for Wallace, but ecstasy for Alex with a third run-off win of the weekend.
It was all change once again in the overall positions in the class based BHC Cup. Four class record breaking runs over the weekend by Alex Coles in his Formula Ford Van Diemen RF86 resulted in him taking a clear overall lead in the Cup for the first time in 2022. Eleven points behind in second place sat Richard Spedding in the GWR Raptor 2. His four class wins, two with new class records, over the Doune weekend saw him jump up the rankings. Johnathen Varley also had a great weekend in the GWR Predator to sit in third place overall. With dropped scores soon to come into play it was still wide open with no obvious favourite for the title.
A delighted 2022 BHC Championship leader Alex Summers said “ I am absolutely buzzing after a fantastic weekend. The car was unreal through the lower section of the hill. Scott pushed me really hard on both days, which is great fun, if a little stressful! It’s nice to have a little lead now but things can easily swing and there’s still a long way to go! Harewood in a couple of weeks is next. Wallace was very strong there back in May. I will have to be at my best once again!”.
Photos: Stuart Wing
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WEEKEND SEVEN
Harewood » 3 July
MATT RYDER BREAKS THE OUTRIGHT RECORD AND TAKES A FIRST BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIP RUN-OFF WIN AS WALLACE MENZIES RE-TAKES THE OVERALL BHC CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD AT HAREWOOD...
Wallace Menzies re-took the lead of the BHC at the second visit in to Harewood in the 2022 season. With Alex Summers failing to make the start line for the first run-off due to a technical issue and then ‘only’ taking fourth place in the second run-off Menzies took full advantage. His twenty point Harewood haul gave him a two point lead over Summers at the seasons half way point. Matt Ryder’s brilliant outright record and maiden run-off win took him up to a fantastic fourth place overall.
The first run-off saw Wallace Menzies take a tenth of a second off his existing record to take eleven precious BHC Championship points. Six tenths of a second adrift in second was Scott Moran, who in turn was a further six tenths clear of an on form Trevor Willis. Matt Ryder was just a quarter of a second behind in fourth. As previously mentioned, Alex Summers was an unfortunate non-starter in the first run-off due a broken fuel pump. This was a rare occurrence at the sharp end of the 2022 Championship and swung the momentum firmly in Wallace Menzies favour.
The second run-off produced a standout performance by Matt Ryder, in what proved to be a fabulous first BHC season in a big single seater. Matt’s silky smooth style was on show for all to see, as he not only took the full eleven points but looked like he had more in hand, taking three tenths of a second off Wallace Menzies’ one and a half hour old outright record! This was Matt’s first ever BHC run-off win. A star of the future – you bet! Wallace Menzies was nearly nine tenths of a second back, but would have been delighted to secure nine vital Championship points.
Trevor Willis was just five hundredths behind in an excellent third place, a further seven hundredths clear of Alex Summers, who must have been relieved to score points on what was a rare difficult 2022 season weekend. Scott Moran was disappointed to finish eight tenths behind in fifth, after running wide a losing time at Country Corner.
The BHC Cup continued its fabulous season. After two class wins, Richard Spedding held a one point lead over Johnathen Varley in the GWR Predator. Johnathen had a fantastic Harewood event, scoring the maximum twenty points by breaking Lee Griffiths’ existing class record twice. Alex Coles had a difficult weekend and now found himself back in third place, four points off the overall BHC Cup lead.
At the half way point of the season the final words went to new Harewood outright record holder Matt Ryder who said “ I’ve never had a run-off win or ended an event with a hill record before! On the last run, everything just came together and the car felt really good. It has been a fantastic BHC season so far. The second half may prove to be a challenge for me, as I haven’t been to the Channel Islands before. Rest assured I will be trying my hardest though!”.
Photos: Paul & Ben Lawrence
