Doune September 21^st - The British Hill-Climb Championship is decided.

 A personal view by Richard - a photograph gallery is to be found at the bottom of the page.

    We set off from an overcast Netherton on Saturday lunchtime (half way through the Moto GP qualifying session at the insistence of the wife, Georgia). Joining the M6 at Junction 10 the traffic was stationary! It soon cleared and we made good progress up past Manchester, Preston, and then literally cruised through the Lake District in some very heavy rainstorms. Question, why when my car is aquaplaning do others continue to overtake? Anyway, we toot the horn as we see the Welcome to Scotland sign and continue our gloomy progress. 20 miles from Doune we see blue skies and then the sun comes out! 

    Too late to see any racing, we tour the paddock, meet up with Graeme junior (who we had come to support) and he points out the best place to be on the night. We left the bar at 2:30 after getting our first taste of the warmth and hospitality of the Lothian Car Club.

    The second taste came first thing on the Sunday morning when I got a lift up the hill in the course car driven by Clerk of the Course Fraser Madder.  A marshall was filming the run from the passenger seat and after the run they turned around to me to ‘explain’ why I had had to hang on so hard, it was because they were videoing the run. As Fraser turned he looked straight down the barrel of my video camera and I had the run and the comments recorded. I have to admit that the grunt through the top esses was me, it was hard work to hold on with one hand and have the video camera in the other. Excellent. I have worked out the time of the run to be about 64 seconds, 3 up in a Honda Civic type R.

            It was dry on Sunday, then damp, then wet, then wetter and misty. The story of the event is covered admirably by Eddie Walder on the Top 12 run off site. Link

            All I can add is my feelings after travelling to Scotland hoping to see Graeme some how pull it off. Some times were set in the dry, setting the mark for the run off, then it drizzled, then it rained, then it was Graeme’s turn. I heard his car arrive in the meadow with the engine stuttering and spluttering with a problematic traction control and it was instantly apparent that it was all over. Darn.

            Congratulations to Adam, a worthy champion, pictures of Adam and Graeme greeting each other are to be found in the gallery. I think next season will be a warm one!

            Thankyou to all at Doune, not forgetting once again the excellent, friendly marshals. We will see you again next June.

Thanks especially to Tony Wood who made everything possible.