Harewood Hillclimb 2024 Report

September 27

Harewood Weekend. (21st – 22nd September)

The Harewood September double header event is a sure sign that the Westfield season is approaching its conclusion. The ever-popular venue saw both Saturday and Sunday events oversubscribed with one or two regular Championship competitors unable to gain entries. A total of 9 Championship runners, spread across Classes A,B and F managed to get entries for both days.

Saturday revealed an overcast but dry start to the day, this slowly improved as the day unfolded with some autumn sunshine appearing by late morning.

The improving conditions encouraged some over ambitious driving throughout the field which led to frequent red flags and subsequent delays. These delays limited the day to two practice and two timed runs. The Westfield contingent largely kept their composure throughout although Mick Dent kept his one indiscretion of the day until just after the finish line and picked up a bit of Harewood vegetation for his troubles.

Class A saw a day long tussle between Mark Bishop and Phil Hallington with Phil unable to close on Mark who took the Westfield class.

In Class B, Howard Gaskin showed consistent good pace to take the Class from a chasing Mark Claxton.

The largest Championship class at the event was Class F with 5 competitors. Dave Banner dominated the class getting to within half a second of the class record. Dave was followed by a close day long battle between Andy Steel, Chris Boyd and Mick Dent who finished in that order. Harry Moody checked out of the event and the weekend with a CV Joint disintegrating on the last corner of the day.

Again, a grey sky greeted competitors on Sunday, the greyness staying resolutely throughout the day. The colder track offered little in improving times and a lot in continued red flag incidents.

Class A saw a repeat of Saturday’s result with Mark Bishop again heading Phil Hallington on the time sheets.

Class B also showed a repeat of the Saturday’s results although both Howard Gaskin and Mark Claxton bucked the trend by recording faster times than the previous day.

In Class F Dave Banner again headed the field but Saturday’s battle continued behind him with Mick Dent emerging as the ‘best of the rest’ ahead of Chris Boyd and Andy Steel.

Despite the recurring red flag delays the organisers announced a third timed run but as the run got underway the rain arrived and grew so heavy that Class F decided to call it a day and retired to the trailers.

Despite some delays and the final weather intervention it was, as usual, an enjoyable weekend on a classic hill, superbly run by BARC … Maybe more than one visit next year??