The Midland Automobile Club concluded its 2007 season with a successful and dramatic meeting at the world famous hill on the weekend of 6th & 7th October. Martin Groves won the the 2007 MSA British Hillclimb Championship and even lowered the outright hill Shelsley record to an astonishing 22.81 seconds, taking it from holder Scott Moran. The event took place this late in the season after postponement due to the summer floods. Back in August when weather news seemed nothing but bad news, who could have dreamed of a record breaking day so late in the year as the nights draw in towards winter?
On this final day Groves and Moran took one win each with the course record falling to Groves in the morning run off to leave him champion. In the afternoon Moran took a win with Groves a comfortable third behind the rejuvenated Graeme Wight Junior who gave the delicious sounding V10 Predator its best ever day and his best result since 2004.
Groves commented “I am relieved to finally win after a long three weeks since Doune. Scott has been a formidable opponent all year long and deserves great praise. We are fiercely competitive on track but great friends off it”.
With Roger Moran finishing 2007 in his habitual championship third place some ten years after his sole championship win, Shelsley Walsh hilltop resident Simon Durling ended his top twelve tenure with championship fourth by taking a third and fifth. With the Gould sold to Karl Davison, Durling will drive a classic Brabham single seater next year and even drove his new steed home up the historic hill in the gathering darkness after the event.
Class records fell: Hard charging Robert Kenrick took the 1.6 litre record and qualified for second run-off gaining a point. In addition Adam Steel piloted the elderly but constantly updated one-off Martlet to a 600cc record and Gary Stephens (Himbleton, Worcestershire) took the hillclimb supersports (Clubmans) record in the 1979 Mallock he shares with brother Gavin.
A healthy crowd enjoyed the spectacle and went home delighted with such a day’s competition. There was a fascinating cavalcade of past British Hillclimb Championship winners in appropriate cars at lunchtime which followed a tremendous and spirited display overhead from a Second World War Supermarine Spitfire courtesy of valued sponsors Stratstone which had everyone craning their necks skyward as they listened to a knowledgeable commentary from the MAC’s own Chris Drewett.
Nicholson McLaren Aviation MSA British Hillclimb Championship Rd 35
1 Martin Groves (3.5 Gould-NME GR55) 22.81s New Outright Hill Record; 2 Scott Moran (3.5 Gould-NME GR61) 22.98s; 3 Simon Durling (23.79s; 4 Roger Moran (3.5 Gould-NME GR61) 23.84s; 5 Graeme Wight Junior (3.0 GWR Predator) 23.97s; 6 Trevor Willis (2.8 OMS-Powertec) 24.02s; 7 Basil Pitt (2.8 Gould-NME GR55) 24.07s; 8 Chris Merrick (4.0 Gould-Judd EV GR55) 24.15s; 9 Paul Ranson (3.5 Gould-NME GR55) 24.45s; 10 Oliver Tomlin (4.0 Pilbeam MP72-Judd) 25.08s; 11 Rob Turnbull (3.5 Gould-Cosworth HB GR55) 25.49s; 12 Tom New (Pilbeam MP88-Rover/QED) 25.79s.
Nicholson McLaren Aviation MSA British Hillclimb Championship Rd 36
1 Scott Moran 23.16s; 2 Wight Junior 23.52s; 3 Groves 23.55s; 4 Ranson 23.93; 5 Durling 23.99s; 6 Willis 24.32s; 7 Roger Moran 24.27s; 8 Pitt 24.46s; 9 Merrick 24.45s; 10 Robert Kenrick (1.6 Force PC-Suzuki) 25.38s; 11 Chris Pickering (1.6 Vision-Suzuki) 25.68; 12 New 25.94s.
Final Championship Points: 1 Groves 260; 2 Scott Moran 251; 3 Roger Moran 197; 4 Durling 176; 5 Trevor Willis 158; 6 Merrick 142; 7 Ranson 116; 8 Pitt 85; 9 Deryk Young 69; 10 New 40.
Class Winners: Barry Newnam (Westfield Megabusa) 30.50s; Ash Mason (Westfield Sei) 30.49s; Robert Harriman (2.0 Subaru Impreza) 30.55s; John Bradburn (5.0 Westfield SE8) 30.27s; Ian Fidoe (2.0 Pilbeam MP43) 28.01s; Gary Stephens (Mallock Mk21/24B) 28.63s; Class Record; Adam Steel (0.6 Martlet DM8) 29.51s Class Record; Brodie Branch (0.9 Force PC-Suzuki) 26.71s; Kenrick 25.12s Class Record; New 25.55s; Scott Moran 23.28s.
