Loton Park Hill Climb Explained

Loton Park
Time:GMT
Location:Loton Park, Shropshire, England
Events:British Hill Climb Championship
Length Yds:1,475
Record Time:41.76
Record Driver:Wallace Menzies
Record Year:2021
Record Class:British Hill Climb Championship

Loton Park Hill Climb is a hillclimb held in part of the Loton Park deer park just outside the village of Alberbury in Shropshire, England. The track was originally constructed by the members of The Severn Valley Motor Club based in Shrewsbury, in the mid-1950s. The first ever winner was Peter Foulkes in a Cooper Climax. The track was threatened with closure in 1969 [1] and since then events have been organised by the Hagley & District Light Car Club, who obtained the lease on the land from owner Sir Michael Leighton in 1970, in which year the first National A hillclimb was staged.

The course is 1475 yards (1349 metres) in length, making it the third longest course used in the British Hill Climb Championship. It contains an unusual downhill section fairly early in its layout. The hill record of 41.76 seconds was set by Wallace Menzies on 26 September 2021.[2]

Loton Park Hill Climb past winners

YearDriver VehicleTimeNotes
1960Sept 3.
1961M. HattonCooper 1,100 c.c.35.68 sec[3]
M. HattonCooper33.95 sec R[4] July 22.
1963 Round 1 : Tony MarshMarsh-Climax 1½-litre S/C [5] 37.03 sec[6] April 27, lengthened 900-yard course.
1964 Round 1 : Peter WestburyFerguson-Climax P99 2½-litre35.56 sec[7] April 25/26.
1965 Round 1 : Tony MarshMarsh-Special Oldsmobile[8]
1967Round 1 : Bryan EcclesBrabham BT18-Oldsmobile V8[9]
1968Sept 1.
1969Round 1 : David HepworthHepworth FF[10]
1973Round 1 : Sir Nicholas WilliamsonMarlyn 712-DFV[11]
Roy LaneMcLaren M14D54.72 sec R[12]
1979Martyn Griffiths Pilbeam MP40 2.2-litre50.81 sec R[13] July 1.
2006 Round 1 : Scott MoranGould-NME GR61X 3.5-litre46.54 sec[14] April 7.
Round 2 : Roger MoranGould-NME GR61X 3.5-litre46.34 sec
Round 13 : Scott MoranGould-NME GR61X 3.5-litre45.94 sec[15] June 11.
Round 14 : Martin GrovesGould-NME GR5545.45 sec
2009 Round 13 : Scott MoranGould-NME GR61X 3.5-litre44.72 sec[16] June 13–14.
Round 14 : Scott MoranGould-NME GR61X 3.5-litre44.78 sec
2010 Round 9 : Roger MoranGould-NME GR61X 3.5-litre45.36 sec[17] June 13.
Round 10 : Trevor WillisOMS-Powertec 2.8-litre58.72 sec
Round 33 : Scott MoranGould-NME GR61X 3.5-litre44.62 sec FTD[18] Sept 26.
Round 34 : Martin GrovesGould-NME GR55B 3.5-litre44.73 sec
Key: R = Course Record; FTD = Fastest Time of the Day; S/C = Supercharged.

External links

52.7233°N -2.95°W

Notes and References

  1. Motor, May 24, 1969, Page 68.
  2. https://mcusercontent.com/d3990a6b5d7f775f7f68651ac/files/99ee7f3a-58bc-5592-73a2-d72048537c8e/BHC_Run_Off_Results_Round_27_Loton.pdf 2021 British Hillclimb Championship Round 27 results
  3. Autosport, May 19, 1961, Page 659; C.A.N. May, Speed Hill-Climb, G.T. Foulis & Co LTD, 1962, Page 166.
  4. C.A.N. May, Speed Hill-Climb, G.T. Foulis & Co LTD, 1962, Page 176.
  5. For a description of the Marsh-Climax see Autosport, March 29, 1963, Page 423.
  6. Autosport, May 3, 1963, Page 617; Motor Sport, June 1963, Page 397.
  7. Autosport, May 1, 1964, Page 619; Motor Sport, June 1964, Page 476.
  8. Motor Sport, September 1965, Page 745.
  9. Motor Sport, August 1967, Page 702.
  10. Motor, May 10, 1969.
  11. Motor, August 18, 1973, Pages 24-25.
  12. Autosport, Aug 16, 1973, Page 54.
  13. Autosport, July 12, 1979, Page 42.
  14. Autosport, April 20, 2006, Page 101.
  15. Autosport, June 15, 2006, Page 105.
  16. Autosport, June 18, 2009, Page 117.
  17. Autosport, June 17, 2010, Page 81.
  18. Speedscene, Issue 161, December 2010, Pages 17-19.

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