COMPETITOR INFORMATION – Tony Marsh Memorial Weekend – Signing on OPEN

Jun 26, 2022

Signing on for the two meetings on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th July has opened.

Please check your email for the links.

These emails were sent out earlier today, make sure you check your spam folder.

You can also complete these forms by logging into Gurston’s Alpha entry system with the login details used to enter the event.

You are also able to complete the online scrutineering documents and add your assistants, helpers and mechanics.

Overall Championship and Challenge Review after June Meetings

Jun 26, 2022

The 2022 Turbo Dynamics Championship has just four events and eight rounds left and with all to play for in the overall and class championships it is looking like the 2022 Championship may go right down to the wire at the August meetings.

Turbo Dynamics Championship – Overall

Clive Stangle in the Mitsubishi Evo, which he shares with his wife Jennie, is in a very solid first place in the championship. He has produced some great performances that have led to a maximum of 11 points in scoring rounds. Clive’s position could be threatened by some of those in the top ten but also by Stephen Wareham, in his Mini, who has scored a maximum 11 in every round he has entered this season. He is currently 16^th overall. With both Clive and Stephen having scored maximum points in seven rounds, it looks like dropped score might well determine the 2022 overall championship.

Chris Burch in the Mazda Roadster RS is currently second in the overall championship. Chris will need to make sure he stays ahead of the driver he shares the car with, Richard Morton to maintain his title hopes.

David Nutland in his Mini is hot on the heels of Chris Burch. It looks like David and Chris will be slogging it out for second overall if Clive can maintain his current form.

Cavendish Ships Stores Top Ten Challenge

The 2022 Cavendish Ships Stores BARC SW Top Ten Challenge is looking like it another championship that is going to be decided at the August meetings, with drop scores playing their part..

Tony Wiltshire leads by a very slim margin over Ben Bonfield who in turn is being chased very hard by Murray Wakeham. But with Mark Crookall and Adrian Lewis jumping into the top five after the June meetings and James Moore scoring a maximum suddenly, the top three places in the challenge seem to be very open. July’s run-offs will bring the likely 2022 challenge results into focus.

July Meetings – ACU Motorbikes – The Jim Goddard Memorial Weekend

Jun 26, 2022

In conjunction with the Auto Cycle Union’s Hill Climb Club, Gurston Down Speed Hill Climb and Jim’s family, this year’s July ACU motorbike weekend’s meetings with be known as the Jim Goddard Memorial Weekend.

As many of you will know, Jim (James), collapsed after completing his first timed run at our Saturday, June meeting and died later in hospital.

July 2022 Meetings – Tony Marsh Memorial Weekend

Jun 26, 2022

Entries for the July meeting have closed and there is a full entry for the Tony Marsh Memorial Weekend.

Drivers are reminded that The Tony Marsh Memorial Trophy is awarded to the Turbo Dynamics Championship registered competitor who makes the greatest improvement in or is nearest to their respective class record in any of the timed runs at either of the July meetings.

Tony Marsh was a multiple British Hill Climb Champion and was key to the creation of Gurston Down Speed Hill Climb. He designed the course and was heavily involved in its construction. If you have time, pop into the restaurant and you’ll see some of the original plans and designs of the course and pictures of it in construction.

Simon and Peter Marsh are still involved with the hill being a drive school tutor and hill and championship sponsor. They are both regular competitors on the hill.

Summer BARC Racing Club Magazine ERROR – Apologies

Jun 25, 2022

Unfortunately due to an error, last year’s Summer report was published in the 2022 BARC Racing Club magazine.

The article should read:

Our 2022 season at Gurston Down Speed Hill Climb got underway early this year with our first two meetings in March and the next two in April. Both meetings were blessed with some lovely weather and some great performances.

The Gurston Down Speed Hill Climb Championship is again kindly sponsored by Turbo Dynamics and the BARC South West Top Ten Challenge sees the return of Cavendish Ships Stores as its headline sponsor. We would like to thank them both for their continued support in 2022.

We would also like to thank Ben Harrison Automotive and Thinkwraps for their overwhelming generosity in providing us with a new van too.

The first weekend’s meetings of the year in March saw some interesting performances as well as some great driving. Stephen Wareham in his rapid Mini had a great March weekend. Not only beating the target time on every competition run but reducing the class record too. We also saw some great performances from Clive Stangle in the Mitsubishi Evo and Murry Wakeham in his OMS and Ben Bonfield in his Jedi Mk4. The Cavendish Ships Stores Top Ten Challenge was won on both days by Andrew Forsyth will two great performances.

In April, Clive Stangle’s performance lead to a maximum 44-point weekend, pushing him into the lead in the Turbo Dynamics Championship. Ben Bonfield, Tony Wiltshire and Chris Burch are the next three in the overall championship. Tony Wiltshire now leads the Top Ten Challenge from Ben Bonfield.

The 2022 season looks like it’s going to be an interesting one. With six more events and twelve rounds to go, this year could go right down to the wire and the August meetings. We suspect that drop scores will play a very important role in the 2022 championship in both the classes and overall.

The British Hill Climb Championship presented by Avon Tyres and the British Hill Climb Cup presented by Footman James came to the hill in May, just after the time of writing this report. More on that in a later report. Can Wallace Menzies, the current champion and championship leader increase his lead after a record-breaking weekend at Harewood?

The Gurston Down Drivers School has had another busy year. Thank you to Chris Cannell, Simon Purcell and the rest of the team for making these days so enjoyable. If you would like to try Hill Climbing at Gurston Down, there are a couple of dates in June and August, check the website for full details.

If you’d like to keep up to date with Gurston Down’s news, please visit our website www.gurstondown.org or follow us on Facebook.