The biggest Hill Climb meeting of the year happens at Shelsley Walsh on the weekend of 16^th and 17^th August with The Peter Collins Commemoration Meeting. This celebrates the life and times of British racing driver Peter Collins who was tragically killed at the German Grand Prix in August 1957.There will be a class of competition cars and a class of demonstration cars both associated with Peter. From Fords and Coopers to Aston Martins, each one will have a link with Peter and his widow Louise is traveling from the USA just to be there.
But the major business of the weekend will be rounds 25 and 26 of the Nicholson McLaren Aviation MSA British Hillclimb Championship. This may reach its climax at Shelsley Walsh as Scott Moran from Ludlow leads the title chase by 63 points after the recent rounds at Craigantlet on the outskirts of Belfast. Moran's closest adversary, the three times and current champion Martin Groves had a disastrous weekend at the Ulster hill and failed even to get a practice run when the gearbox broke as his co-driver Paul Ranson spun the tyres up to warm them before his first run of the day.If Groves slips up the title may be Moran's but the tenacious Groves never gives up and as current hill record holder will be difficult to beat at Shelsley Walsh.
In addition the meeting is a round of the Power-Mec Leaders Championship which is a class based national series and this is currently jointly led by Worcestershire driver Simon Fidoe and Farnham's Paul Haimes with Tom New from Hampshire only one point behind. All three are entered and will be battling it out for more points with Haimes and New in the same 2 litre racing car class.
This is the meeting where that famous Blue Riband of motor sport the Shelsley Walsh Outright Hill Record is most likely to be under threat from current holder Groves and Moran. Former record holder Graeme Wight Junior is entered in the charismatic and shrieking F1 powered V10 Predator as he is finally getting the astonishing car dialled in to the103 year old hill. Add to that the historic element of the Peter Collins commemoration invoking nostalgia for the great days of yesteryear here is one event you must not miss!
There will be trade stands with books and automobilia and well known motoring author Ed McDonough will be launching his Peter Collins book at the event.
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/bar facilities are available as are a range of souvenirs and regalia.
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