Sunday 21st October.

 The Midland Automobile Club concluded its 2007 speed event season on Sunday 21st October with a National B sprint event at Curborough sprint course near Lichfield which was also the last speed event (hillclimb or sprint) of 2007 on the UK mainland. A healthy entry of 95 competitors took part including a large class of 21 entrants in the Pirelli Ferrari hillclimb challenge (which also includes this sprint) and 16 entrants in the Austin Healey Club Healeysport challenge.

The start of practice was delayed for a few minutes as early fog cleared to reveal a bright but sharply cold day. Notables present included Simon Durling, fourth in the MSA British hillclimb championship in 2006 and 2007 who was out for the first time in his classic 1966 Brabham BT21 that took Best Time of the Day (BTD) at Shelsley Walsh in 1968 in the hands of previous owner Bryan Eccles. John Bradburn made his single seater debut in the Gould GR55-Opel V6 that he has acquired from fellow Sutton Coldfield resident the veteran speed eventer Rob Turnbull who was present to see John take his first practise run.

Best Time of the Day went to Lindsay Mercer in his Radical Prosport who broke the class record for the Sports Libre class with a 29.88 sec run. Second BTD went to Hamish Lindsay in his tiny 988cc motorcycle engined Jedi single seater with a 29.94 and third BTD to Neville Rollason in his 1300cc carbon fibre OMS single seater with a 30.11.

With the 2007 MAC competition season now over, keep coming back to www.shelsley-walsh.co.uk throughout the winter where the calendar for next year will soon be posted and in the new year look out for a surprise or two to whet the appetite for 2008.

Meanwhile, here are the dates for next years MAC Sprint and Hillclimb Schools:

22nd April 2008 Curborough

24th June Shelsley Walsh

2nd September Curborough

Contact the MAC office on 01886 812211 for booking details.