Tipton Garage again supporting big Wiscombe Park meeting on May 18

Sponsored once more by loyal supporters, The Tipton Garage and Alansway Body Repairs, the event has attracted the cream of the South West’s hill climbing fraternity, pedalling a wide variety of saloon, sports and racing cars, with the motor bikes drawn from all across the country contesting the National Hill Climb Association series.

Competitors are relishing the prospect of tackling another round of two regional championships on the 914 metre East Devon track, which at the first meeting of the year saw keen competition for early championship points.

The event has drawn competitors from as far afield as Surrey, Hampshire, Powys, the Midlands and Jersey; Torbay Motor club members will be strongly represented, with over 25 per cent of all the entries coming from the host club.

Local drivers who will feature prominently in the chase for honours in the smaller capacity production car classes include Honiton’s Robert Thomson (Vauxhall Nova), Colyton’s George Koopman (Honda Integra).

Local father and son David and Jan Yeo have moved into a higher class this year with their 1800 cc Westfield SEi, replacing their previous Locost 1300, and face stiff competition from the similarly–equipped Paul and John Sullivan from Lyme Regis and Exeter’s Ian Hodgson.

Popular, and spectacular, Feniton driver Martyn Pike is the hot favourite in C2 with his immaculate Mk 1 Ford Escort, with Newton Abbot’s Andy Stoddart (Vauxhall Nova) and Honiton resident Duncan Beer (Ford Escort Mk3) close behind to pick up the pieces if he slips up.

Class D1 is likely to feature a tight fight between the ever-improving Kevin Frost, from Crediton, in his self-built KMD sports and Axbridge’s Luke Trotman in his Mallock MK18B; reigning Wiscombe Hill Climb champion Craig Moore from Lyme Regis will be hard to beat in the rally car class.

The racing car classes look likely to bring more success for Ottery St Mary’s Ed Hollier, who comprehensively demolished all his rivals at the Wiscombe events on the final weekend of April with fastest time of the day on both dates in his Hyabusa powered Pilbeam MP62.

Amongst the chasing pack will be South-Chard resident Stuart Browne, in an OMS machine.

The event is a qualifying round of the two regional, two local and three marque hill climb championships:

The Association of South Western Motor Clubs Bridge Tyres and Wheels Point S 2013 Hill Climb Championship,

The Association of Central Southern Motor Clubs Hamilton Classic 2013 Speed Hillclimb Championship,

The Bridge Tyres and Wheels Point S 2013 Wiscombe Hill Climb Championship,

The 2013 Torbay Motor Club Speed Championship,

The 2013 TVR Car Club Speed Championship,

The 2013 Luffield MG Speed Championship and

The 2013 Classic Marques Speed Challenge.

The action starts with practice sessions in the morning, followed by the first of two competitive timed runs after lunch.

Students from Newton Abbot College have been invited back to the event for the third year in a row to demonstrate their Greenpower 24 entrant ‘Team Lucy’. The diminutive lightweight electric racing car, built and run by the students under the watchful eye of their Technology teacher, John Musty, and sponsored by Torbay Motor Club and Centrax, will run downhill on the section in front of the main spectator area during the lunch break and will also be on display in the main paddock.

The following day’s event, Sunday’s Wildlife Wiscombe Hill Climb, promoted by Taunton and Burnham-on-Sea Motor Clubs, is also a qualifying round of the first four of the above championships.

Entry on the day is £7, including free parking and paddock transfer; accompanied children under-14 are admitted free. The gate is open from 10am with food and refreshments available all day.

Torbay Motor Club supports the Devon Air Ambulance Trust. Web-link: www.daat.org

For further information, visit:

www.wiscombepark.co.uk, www.thetiptongarage.co.uk and Torbay Motor Club’s web-site at www.torbay-mc.co.uk