Craigantlet Hillclimb Explained

Craigantlet
Time:GMT
Location:Craigantlet, Northern Ireland
Events:British Hill Climb Championship
Length Yds:1,460
Record Time:39.56
Record Driver:Trevor Willis
Record Year:2012
Record Class:British Hill Climb Championship

Craigantlet Hillclimb, a speed event organised by the Ulster Automobile Club, was first held in 1913. It is the only such venue in Northern Ireland to host a round (latterly two rounds) of the British Hill Climb Championship, which started in 1947.

The current course is 1,460 yards (1335 metres) in length, and unlike hillclimbs in the rest of the UK is laid out on closed public roads. Sections of the course are named for past winners, in order of ascent: Howe, Hall, Hadley, Mays Cross, Allard, Wharton Straight, Pringle.[1]

Tragedy struck at Craigantlet in 1995 when Mark Colton was killed in practice for the event. The meeting was abandoned.

The hill record currently stands at 39.63 seconds, set by Scott Moran on 2 August 2008, driving a Gould GR61.[2]

Craigantlet Hillclimb past winners

YearDriverVehicleTimeNotes
1913Harry FergusonVauxhall 25 h.p.103 sec[3] 1⅛ mile course.
1930Earl HoweMercedes98.4 sec[4] 1⅛ mile course.
1931R.G.J. NashFrazer Nash 1½ litre s/c89.2 sec R[5]
1932W. SullivanLea-Francis95.8 sec[6]
1933E.D. HallM.G. Magnette 1,086 c.c. s/c86.6 sec R[7] 26 Aug.
1934Eddie HallM.G. K387.4 sec
1935Eddie HallM.G. Magnette83.2 sec[8] 31 Aug.
1936H.L. HadleyAustin 747 c.c. sidevalve82.2 sec[9]
1937H.L. HadleyAustin Seven82.4 sec[10]
1938Bert HadleyAustin Seven83.0 sec[11] 27 Aug.
1939Cancelled.[12]
1946K.W. BearBugatti 3-litre85.6 sec[13] 31 Aug; Wet.
1947Sydney AllardSteyr-Allard87.0 sec[14] 30 Aug; Hot.
1948Raymond MaysE.R.A.75.8 sec[15] 28 Aug; Course shortened 50 yards.
1949Sydney AllardSteyr-Allard73.4 sec[16]
1950Sydney AllardSteyr-Allard75.0 sec[17]
1951Sydney AllardSteyr-Allard73.0 sec R[18] 11 Aug; 1,833 yards.
1952Ken WhartonCooper 1,000 s/c80.2 sec[19]
1953Ken WhartonCooper s/c70.6 sec R[20] 8 Aug; 1,833 yards; Sunny.
1954Ken WhartonE.R.A R4D70.11 sec R[21]
1955Ken WhartonE.R.A. s/c70.3 sec[22] 6 Aug.
1956Malcolm TempletonLotus-Climax 1,098 c.c.87.13 sec[23] 18 Aug; 1,833 yards.
1957Dick HendersonCooper-J.A.P.69.26 sec[24]
1958David Boshier-JonesCooper-J.A.P.69.99 sec[25]
1959David Boshier-JonesCooper-J.A.P.68.74 sec[26]
1960Arthur OwenCooper72.41 sec[27] 13 Aug.
1961John PringleCooper-Climax 2,495 c.c.67.24 sec R[28] 19 Aug, dull but dry.
1962John PringleCooper-Climax65.97 sec R[29] 18 Aug.
1963Peter WestburyFelday-Daimler s/c[30]
1964Peter WestburyFerguson P99 4-W-D61.70 sec[31] 15 Aug.
1965Peter MeldrumLotus 20-Allard s/c62.52 sec[32] 14 Aug.
196613 Aug.
1967Bryan EcclesBrabham-Oldsmobile12 Aug.
1968Peter Lawson57.98 sec10 Aug.
1969Martin BrainCooper T86B-BRM 3-litre60.78 sec[33] 9 Aug.
1970Brian NelsonCrosslé F2-FVAR[34]
1971Brian Nelson15 Aug.
1972Brian NelsonCrosslé 22F-Hart55.72 sec R[35]
1973Nelson ToddCrosslé 22F-Hart57.50 sec[36]
1974Tommy ReidBrabham BT38
1975Patsy McGarrityChevron
1976Patsy McGarrityChevron B29 (Formula Atlantic)55.34 sec R[37]
1977Alister Douglas-OsbornPilbeam P2 DFV51.64 sec R[38]
1978Alister Douglas-OsbornPilbeam MP31/002 3-litre54.62 sec[39]
19793/4 Aug.
1980Round 11 : Chris CramerMarch 782 2.5-litre51.03 sec R[40] 2 Aug.
1981Round 11 : James ThomsonPilbeam MP40K50.39 sec R[41] 2 Aug.
1986Round 11 : Martyn GriffithsPilbeam MP53/04-Hart 2.8-litre50.14 sec[42] 2 Aug.
1988Round 13 : Martyn GriffithsPilbeam MP53 2.8-litre49.65 sec R[43] 6 Aug.
1989Round 12 : Ray RowanRoman-Hart 2.8-litre50.58 sec[44] 5 Aug.
2005Round 25 : Willem ToetPilbeam MP88 Judd 4.0-litre40.36 sec FTD[45] 6 Aug.
Round 26 : Roger MoranGould-NME GR61X 3.5-litre41.14 sec
2008Round 23 : Scott MoranGould GR6140.57 sec2 Aug.
Round 24 : Scott MoranGould GR6139.63 sec R
2009Round 25 : Scott MoranGould-NME GR61X 3.5-litre40.95 sec1 Aug.
Round 26 : Trevor WillisOMS CF06 Powertec 2.8-litre40.99 sec
20107 Aug.
Key: R = Course Record; FTD = Fastest Time of the Day.

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.hillclimbandsprint.co.uk/trackguides.asp#cg See
  2. News: 21 points for Moran as Groves non-scores. Top 12 Run Off. 2 August 2008. 18 September 2008.
  3. T.R. Nicholson, Sprint – Speed Hillclimbs and Speed Trials in Britain: 1899–1925, David & Charles, 1969, Page 252.
  4. Motor Sport, September 1930, Page 17.
  5. Motor Sport, September 1931, Page 521. For an interview with R.G.J. Nash see Motor Sport, December 1958, Pages 825–826.
  6. The Observer, 17 July 1932, Page 9; Motor Sport, September 1932, Page 504.
  7. The Irish Times, 28 August 1933; The Autocar, 1 September 1933, Pages 381, 384.
  8. The Autocar, 6 September 1933, Page 477; Motor Sport, September 1936, Page 445.
  9. Motor Sport, September 1936, Page 445.
  10. Motor Sport, December 1937, Page 521.
  11. The Autocar, 2 September 1938, Page 407.
  12. The Autocar, 5 May 1939, Page 773.
  13. Motor Sport, October 1946, Page 228; Motor Sport, June 1949, Page 211: Obituary.
  14. Motor Sport, October 1947, Page 286.
  15. Motor Sport, October 1948, Page 341.
  16. Motor Sport, October 1949, Page 402.
  17. Motor Sport, July 1950, Page 320.
  18. Motor Sport, September 1951, Page 434.
  19. Motor Sport, September 1952, Page 396.
  20. The Autocar, 14 August 1953, Page 219; Motor Sport, January 1954, Page 7.
  21. The Autocar, 20 August 1954, Page 271.
  22. The Manchester Guardian, 8 August 1955, Page 2; Motor Sport, September 1955, Page 520.
  23. The Motor Year Book 1957, Temple Press, Page 204; See also: Wharton Withdraws From Climb, The Manchester Guardian, 20 August 1956, Page 2.
  24. Motor Sport, January 1958, Page 22.
  25. Motor Sport, January 1959, Page 31.
  26. Motor Sport, January 1960, Page 20.
  27. The Autocar, 19 August 1960, Page 285. R. Fielding, Cooper-Climax, No. 79, was first in the R.A.C. Championship class in 79.61 sec.
  28. Motor, 23 August 1961, Page 112; Motor Sport, January 1961, Page 32. R. Fielding, Emeryson 1,460 c.c., was first in the R.A.C. Championship class in 72.47 sec.
  29. The Autocar, 24 August 1962, Page 323; Motor Sport, September 1962, Page 683.
  30. Motor Sport, September 1963, Page 680.
  31. Motor Sport, September 1964, Page 712.
  32. Motor, 28 August 1965, Page 50; Motor Sport, September 1965, Page 745.
  33. Motoring News, 14 August 1969, Page 20.
  34. The Autocar, 13 August 1970, Page 21. David Hepworth, Hepworth FF 4wd 5-litre, was first in of the R.A.C. Championship class (Round 7).
  35. Autosport, 17 August 1972, Pages 38–39.
  36. Autosport, 23 August 1973, Pages 5.
  37. Autosport, 19 August 1976, Page 57.
  38. Autosport, 18 August 1977, Page 57.
  39. Autosport, 10 August 1978, Page 47.
  40. Autosport, 14 August 1980, Page 61.
  41. Autosport, 6 August 1981, Page 57.
  42. Autosport, 14 August 1986, Page 61.
  43. Autosport, 18 August 1988, Page 59.
  44. Autosport, 10 August 1989, Page 59.
  45. Autosport, 11 August 2005, Page 101.

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