Nicholson McLaren Aviation MSA British Hillclimb Championship
Rounds 15 & 16, Harewood Hillclimb, near Leeds, 5/6 July
The event was rain affected being wet for both sets of class runs and for the round 15 run-off. Martin Groves took the highest points tally with a Round 15 win and round 16 second place, but could still only close in on the series leader by 3 points as Scott Moran took a fifth in round 15 and won round 16. Moran was affected by a lack of full wet tyres for the rear of the car and ran round 15 with hand cut intermediates yet is still 40 points clear of Groves.
Groves co-driver Paul Ranson had a good meeting with third and seventh in respective run-offs with Trevor Willis again overcoming his power disadvantage with second and sixth. With a zero points weekend Chris Merrick lost a place in the standings, qualifying twelfth for round 15 but sliding out in the run-off, and failed to make the cut altogether for round 16.
Drier conditions in round 16 allowed Jos Goodyear to overcome his round 15 non qualification to get third in round 16. Twice MSA champion Graeme Wight Junior competed outside Scotland for the first time this year and although he missed the round 15 cut came away with a round 16 fourth place.
Round 15
1 Martin Groves (3.5 Gould-NME GR55) 61.52s; 2 Trevor Willis (2.8 OMS-Powertec) 62.42s; 3 Paul Ranson (3.5 Gould-NME GR55) 62.72s; 4 Basil Pitt (2.8 Gould-NME GR55) 62.98s; 5 Scott Moran (3.5 Gould-NME GR61) 63.01s; 6 Paul Haimes (2.0 Dallara-Opel F301) 63.55s; 7 Roger Moran (3.5 Gould-NME GR61) 63.66s; 8 Deryk Young (4.0 Gould-Judd GR51) 63.77s; 9 Tim Wilson (1.4 OMS-Suzuki) 63.89s; 10 Eynon Price (1.6 OMS-Suzuki) 63.96s; 11 Chris Merrick (4.0 Gould-Judd EV GR55) 64.45s; 12 Will Hall (1.3 Force-Suzuki PC) 64.74s.
Round 16
1 Scott Moran 49.77s; 2 Groves 50.04s; 3 Jos Goodyear (4.0 Pilbeam-Judd MP97) 50.75s; 4 Graeme Wight Junior (3.0 GWR Predator-Arrows-Hart) 51.12s; 5 Roger Moran 51.69s; 6 Willis 52.25s; 7 Ranson 52.57s; 8 Pitt 52.66s; 9 Young 52.85s; 10 Oliver Tomlin (4.0 Pilbeam-Judd MP72) 53.02s; 11 Mark Coley (2.5 Gould-Opel GR55) 54.30s; Rob Turnbull (3.5 Gould-Cosworth GR55) 54.54s.
