Hillclimbing remains a very popular branch of motorsport and it was surprising to learn that 31 hills from the "Cat and Fiddle” near Macclesfield to “Sunrising Hill” near Kineton have at one time or another staged this uphill pursuit. Three key Midlands' locations remain – Loton Park, Prescott and the steepest and most daunting of them all, Shelsley Walsh.

With a 129 strong entry and 14 former British Champions, combined with a glorious summer day, it was no surprise to learn this was the venue’s biggest gate since pre-war days, where for a time it was the only permanent UK motorsports venue apart from Brooklands. These were the highlights:-

Champions
Proof that you never lose it, the most successful climber in history, six-times winner Tony Marsh was at the wheel of his 1967 self-constructed Marsh Special, successfully combining 4 wheel drive and a Buick V8, whilst he had competed the previous day in state of the art equipment, his Gould GR55.

Five-times champions and sometime PMFC and Austin Healey racer David Grace bagged a drive in BAR F1 aerodynamicist Willem Toet’s Pilbeam MP88, whilst Chairman of the Shelsley Trust Martyn Griffiths made a welcome return in the Pilbeam MP53 with which he won his last title.

Four-times champion, ex-cyclist and FOC member Roy Lane ( on the mend after recent surgery) was back in his championship winning Pilbeam MP58 of 1996 and sometime International Supersports competitor Martin Bolsover demonstrated his McLaren M6GT road car.

Twice-winner in the ‘60s, Peter Westbury was reunited with the unique Ferguson P99 – raced in period by Sir Stirling Moss and recently rebuilt ; whilst ’78 victor and Shell Historic Challenge regular David Franklin was in the most unsuitable hillclimb car of the weekend, Dean Butler’s ex-Richard Petty IROC Camaro.

1995 winner, Guernseyman Andy Priaulx was at the wheel of the Bart Mampaey run BMW which he used to clinch the European Touring Car Championship in ’04 and has helped him achieve seat time and a testing programme with Williams in F1.

Demonstrations
Father and son historic race preparers Rick and Rob Hall had a busy weekend – in celebration of Birmingham garagiste Ken Wharton’s 1953 demonstration of the incomparable BRM V16, the Donington Collection’s MK1 was driven by Rick. Hans Stuck’s 1936 ascents of the hill in the fearsome Auto Union were commemorated by Rob in Aba Kogan’s D Type. On his first visit , Rob achieved 38 sec climbs of the “1 in 11” hill to considerable applause.

Former British Touring Car Champion and Bathurst 1000 winner Jeff Allam was also making his first visit to Shelsley and his recently acquired, superbly prepared, Bastos liveried, ex-TWR Rover sounded crisp, reverberating against the tree lined track.

Action
The first climb of the hill was set by Ernest Instone in August 1905 driving his Daimler in 77.6 secs….how things have changed! Martin Groves reset the outright course record to 23.77secs over the weekend in his Gould GR55 V8 whilst Sue Young lowered her existing Ladies record to 26.94secs in the family Gould GR51.

Unfortunately Mac Hulbert wasn’t able to eclipse his class record (33.71secs) with ERA R4D - a car inextricably linked to Shelsley’s history with 5 outright records and 21 best times of the day.

Of the class battles, the highlight was undoubtedly between ex-rally driver Julian Bronson in his gruff Lister Chevrolet and Classic and Sportscar magazine’s Simon Taylor in his Don Law prepared Stovebolt Chevrolet. Bronson achieved the win with a 34.94 climb but only after Taylor had modified his steering against the Kennel banking.

Shelsley has always inspired engineers, with a century of innovation and home built "specials” bearing unfamiliar names but with a single aim - to get to the top fastest! Hornet, Gnat and Wasp were some of the earliest, often powered by JAP motorbike engines. They culminated in Spider 1 and 2 which were built by Macclesfield-based silk merchant Basil Davenport complete with his 1920’s version of racing overalls – a farmers coat secured with bailing twine! Fittingly both cars ran over the weekend against the latest of the breed, Nic Mann’s self-built Clubmans-based and gas turbine assisted Mannic – with which he lowered the Shelsley Special and Sports racing car record to 26.46.

With a renewed operating lease until 2105, ongoing investment into facilities and infrastructure, the hill faces a certain future. The Midland Automobile Club is custodian of probably the world’s best known hillclimb venue - Pikes Peak included…. long may it continue.

See Red
From hillclimbing to 'See Red 2005' - the VSCC organised celebration of all that is Italian, automotive and “red”! With a six-strong F1 Corse Clienti demonstration and 17 original Maserati 250Fs on-track, as well as the current MC12 and an FOC marquee on the inside of Redgate Corner, Donington Park is the only place to be September 3/4th….see you there!

Chris Williams's 24 Litre Bentley Napier aero engined special	Robin Baker smokes his 27 litre Hispano engined Delage to the start	Rupert Marks's evocative Bugatti Type 59 replica	Spider I - the definitive Shelsley Special, driven by David Lee

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