Midland Automobile Club Report
On the May Day Bank Holiday of 5^th May the 2008 Shelsley Walsh Speed Hill Climb season began with a successful meeting where Best Time of the Day (BTD) went to Trevor Willis who won the second of two Avon/BMTR Top ten challenge run-offs with a time of 24.29 seconds driving his 2.8 litre OMS-Powertec racing car. This was the first ever Shelsley BTD for Trevor and for the OMS marque. Trevor said "I had a very close battle with both Deryk Young and Chris Merrick all day and there is no better place than Shelsley to get a BTD". Merrick, in his 4 litre Gould GR55-Judd finished behind Willis with second BTD in 24.31 seconds.
Young, from Yarkhill, also in a Gould was winner of the first run-off from Willis with what eventually proved to be 3^rd BTD in 24.53 seconds.
Notable performances in classes came from Darren Luke and Brodie Branch, who share the same Force-Suzuki racing car in the up to 1100cc class.
They both qualified for the second run-off, but declined to run, and Brodie said "We felt we had done enough". The up to 1600cc class was taken by another Force Suzuki driver, Llangollen's Robert Kenrick, whose time was 1.25 seconds better than the best of the two litre racing cars.
He finished 6^th in both run-offs.
In the sports car class, Worcester residents Ian and Simon Fidoe finished first and second in their shared Pilbeam MP43 sports racer.
*Next Shelsley*
The next Shelsley event takes place on the weekend of 31^st May/1^st June with rounds of the British, the Leaders and the Midland Hill Climb championships with supporting rounds of the Paul Matty Lotus and Ferrari championships.
Shelsley Walsh is AA signposted approximately 10 miles North West of Worcester. Practice starts at 9:30 am on Saturday and the event starts at 9:30 am on Sunday. Admission is £10 on practice day, £14 on event day and accompanied children under 16 get in free. This includes parking, transfer to the paddock, and seated trackside enclosures. Excellent catering and light refreshment facilities are available as are a range of souvenirs and regalia.
