Enjoy an exciting day at the South’s TOP Hill Climb Venue
Introduction
Our highly experienced instructors will teach you all you need to know to start and succeed in the sport of Speed Hill Climbing.
The aim of the Gurston Down Hill Climb Drivers School is to provide top level instruction on one of the fastest speed hill climb courses in the country, under carefully controlled conditions, so that you can enjoy an exciting but secure day’s driving. Whatever your level of experience the Gurston Down Hill Climb Drivers School will give you a great day out!
- Our Motorsport UK licensed instructors, “The Boss”, Multiple Class winner Chris Cannell, and seasoned campaigners Graham Beale, Tim Pitfield, Paul Webster and Simon Marsh, are all highly experienced hill climbers who know how to enjoy their sport! Let them pass on that enjoyment to you.
Even if you have no previous experience, the Gurston Down Hill Climb Drivers School is for you – we will talk you through the basics of how to obtain a competition licence, how to enter events, and how to prepare your car to pass the watchful gaze of the Scrutineer! Only then will we take you out onto the hill.
But you will not be confined to the classroom for too long – we will devote the major portion of your day to driving and instruction.
You don’t need a competition licence to come to our drivers school.
We also offer a licence upgrade option – you attend the School for a day’s course, and sit a short multiple-choice examination. Successful completion will gain you a signature towards upgrading an RS Interclub to an RS National Speed Competition Licence. This option is available to anyone who already has, or who intends to obtain an MSUK RS Interclub licence.
Even if you are not yet committed to taking up the wonderful sport of Speed Hill Climbing, you can come along to the school, taking part in all the activities except the exam, and just have a terrific day experiencing the feeling of competitive driving on Gurston Down’s challenging course. We have a feeling it won’t be the last time you do so!
Above all, we hope to make your day at the Gurston Down Hill Climb Drivers School an exciting, enjoyable and memorable experience. And all you need to bring is a road-legal car (Saloon, Sports or Kitcar), and an umbrella or wet weather clothing, just in case! If your car is more than three years old, you will need to demonstrate that it is road-legal by showing us a current MOT certificate when you sign-on at the School.
Please note: it is not possible to share a car with another driver at a School day.
The minimum age for participation is 18 years, and you need to hold either a full UK driving licence (not a provisional), or an MSA competition licence.
NOTE: We cannot accept entries for the Drivers School from riders of motorbikes and combinations. Hybrid or Electric cars are NOT permitted.
For further details, contact Simon and Jane Purcell:
gurstondrivingschool@outlook.com
Follow us on Facebook by clicking Here
Robb Webb is the official Drivers School Photographer
contact@robbwebbphotography.co.uk
You can see more of Robb’s work at the hill here:
http://www.https://www.robbwebbphotography.co.uk/gurston-down-speed-hillclimb-school/.co.uk/
Hill Climb School Days – 2024
There will be at least FOUR school days in 2024. The four that are currently planned are:
Tuesday 2nd April
Tuesday 7th May
Tuesday 4th June
Tuesday 2nd July
Our fees have NOT increased for the 2024 season, despite increasing costs.
FEES for 2024 will be £220 – This is discounted to £195 if a booking is made before 1st January 2023
If you are already an MSUK Inter-Club Competition Licence holder (or are about to obtain one), and wish to take the AHASS examination in order to secure an extra Licence upgrading signature to get your RS National Licence, the additional fee per pupil is £50.00
Additional lunches and other refreshments are available for partners and friends at £20.00 each.
Gift vouchers will be available in the shop section of the online link.
Booking a place at our School or buying a Voucher
The easiest way of booking a place or buying a voucher is to use our online reservation and payment system by clicking HERE.
Alternatively, you can download an application form, complete and submit it together with a cheque (and if buying a voucher this way, please submit a brief note to that effect with your application form and cheque)
Don’t forget, it is not possible to share a car with another driver on a School day.
How your day at the School is structured
Our timetable for your day’s activities is as follows :-
• 0830 / 0845 Arrival and sign-On
• 0900 Coffee / Tea / Biscuits
• Introductions
• A short presentation covering what the sport of Speed Hillclimbing involves, the requirements for vehicle preparation and personal safety kit, and basic hillclimb driving instruction.
• Walking the Hill with an Instructor
• Convoy runs
• Four Observed individual runs with a personal debrief between runs two and three
• Lunch
• AHASS Exam for MOtorsport UK Licence Upgrade (if entered)
• Further observed individual runs (at least four)
• Presentation of Certificates (with Coffee / Tea and Cake!)
• Close (approx) 1630
A full but satisfying and great value day!
What the Press say
Track Driver magazine publisher Stacy Vickers and (then) editor John Hayman visited our School a couple of years ago.
As confirmed track day and circuit racing enthusiasts they were initially sceptical about hillclimbing, so read Here how they too became hooked on it by attending our school!
Testimonial
“Absolutely phenomenal – everyone should do it!!” Dean Cubitt – April 2016
“As a complete beginner, I started hill climbing at Gurston in a Westfield and three years later I held most of the major hill records in the class and have had more enjoyment than I imagined possible.
In my opinion, a Westfield is the only answer for performance and race car handling on and off the track and for sheer driveability, value and fun can’t be beaten”
Tim Coventry – former British Hill Climb Leaders Champion and subsequently a competitive runner in the British Hillclimb Championship.
If you would be interested in sponsoring Gurston Down’s Hill Climb School, please contact Anthony Record, Gurston Press Officer via email press@gurstondown.co.uk