Shelsley Walsh has a busy month starting with the weekend of 5th and 6th July.
The busy summer at the world famous Shelsley Walsh Hillclimb continues with an even more busy July starting on the the weekend of 5^th and 6^th July. The Reg Phillips Memorial Trophy Meeting is on Saturday incorporating rounds of the Lotus 7, Midland Speed, Ginetta championships and a class of motorcycles. On Sunday is the popular annual MAC Vintage meeting with the Vintage Sports Car Club.
On Saturday the Reg Phillips meeting has 113 cars entered and a class of25 motorcycles who are visiting for the first time in 2008. The meeting incorporates a class for the Lotus Seven Club Championship with 25 cars in their own 5 subsidiary classes by engine size and type.
Vying for the Best Time of Day award and the Reg Phillips Memorial Trophy will be a number of competitors but the leading contender must be Nic Mann who is making his 2008 competition debut in the amazing self built Mannic with a turbocharger powered by a miniature gas turbine that was a helicopter starter motor.. You must see the astonishing and unique starting procedure of this unbelievable car. Nic already holds the hill record for supercharged Shelsley Specials of 26.46 seconds for which this car was built and will be looking to reduce this time even further. Also in the hunt for honours will be Peter Cox from Abberley in his historic Chevron B42 and 6-times British Hill Climb Champion Tony Marsh who is now in the 57^th year since his competitive debut. His career spans F1 racing against the likes of Fangio and Stirling Moss, and racing at Le Mans where he won his class in 1960. He shares his GouldGR55 with his son Simon. Also bound to be trying hard is Kington farmer John Jones in the ex-works Pilbeam MP62 and there will be many more who will want to stake their claim for the Reg Phillips Trophy.
Local drivers entered include regular Shelsley Paddock Marshal Campbell Deas from Droitwich who is to drive Phil Nuthall and Brian Sanders' Nutsan Muffin Shelsley Special. Paul Matty from Shelsley Kings and Simon Durling who lives at the top of the historic Shelsley Walsh hill are entered in the pre-1975 handicap class. Eurosport MotoGP commentator Toby Moody who hails from Earls Common and who started his narrative career at Shelsley Walsh is out in the 600cc Force racing car that he shares with Bill Chaplin and he will be behind the microphone on Sunday.
But the driver with the most difficult job is Paul 'Dad' Danby from nearby Stockton on Teme. Not only is he borrowing the Jamun M91 Formula Ford racing car from a friend but it his also his first ever competitive event in a car of any sort. But where better to start than at the world's most historic Motor Sport venue in front of all his friends. “Don't expect too many fireworks, the car has to go back in one piece” said Paul who regularly pit crews for Keith Harris or Peter Cox and most recently was helping (or was it hindering) twice British Hill Climb Champion Graeme Wight Junior.
On Sunday is the celebrated Vintage meeting in association with the Vintage Sports Car Club. A capacity entry of 131of the most historic cars to be seen at any motor sport meeting anywhere in the world will contest the event at the 103 year old hill. Oldest car on view will be the 1908 Brasier Voiture de Course of Mike Holt which has a 12 litre engine. Yet this is not the largest capacity car in the event. That honour falls to the Delage of Anthony Howat that is powered by a 27 litre Hispano Suiza aeroplane engine. Not far behind in size is the former seaplane engine that sits under the bonnet of Chris Williams' Napier Bentley. Chris often shows off the enormous torque of the broad-arrow 12-cylinder Napier motor with tyre smoking displays as he leaves the start line.
Don't try to choose between the two days of fascinating motor sport action, make sure that you go to both!
Shelsley Walsh is AA signposted approximately 10 miles North West of Worcester. Practice starts at 9:30 am on both days and the each event starts after lunch at between 1:45 pm and 2:00 pm. Admission is £14 on Saturday, and £17 on Sunday 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.
