These useful track guides have been published in Speedscene magazine over the years and are
re-published here in scanned form as .pdf documents. They generally come out quite well except for
a few cases where the photos span the magazine centre line.
We have recently added a number of in-car videos produced for the HSA by Brayspeed Productions
who are the producers of hillclimbing programmes aired on Motors TV. For other tracks including those not yet featured in Speedscene 'Drive-Its' a number
of in-car videos from Mole Racing and Matt Carter (look out for the on screen telemetry) have also been included.
Track guides are available for:
Published in Speedscene 128 (April/June 2004). "In an article considerably revised and updated since
it appeared as the first "Drive It" in the summer of 1996 (Speedscene 86), Simon McBeath describes
his technique for tackling this popular Wiltshire hill.
A former 2 litre single seater class record holder here, McBeath is now one of the team of instructors
at the Gurston Down Hillclimb Drivers' School. A regular hillclimber (though not so regular
these days......) for 25 years with considerable success at hillclimb courses across the British mainland,
he is a freelance writer for magazines such as Racecar Engineering, Circuit Driver and the late lamented
Cars & Car Conversions, and has also produced a series of technical Motorsport books for Haynes."
Published in Speedscene 130 (September/October 2004). "A graduate engineer in automobile engineering at
Loughborough University, 22 year old Guernseyman Chris Guille regularly drives along side
father Geoff in Powermec Leaders series events. Their 2 litre Mallock Vauxhall Mk32, the only
rear engined Mallock to regularly compete on the hills and is one of the top contenders
in the burgeoning 2 litre SPorts Libre class. A former Shelsley record holder in the car, Chris describes his technique for tackling
the MAC's classic 1,000 yard hill, the oldest surviving motorsport venue in the world in regular use since its inception."
"Published in Speedscene 131 (November/December 2004). Adam Fleetwood has earned two consecutive
British Championship titles in his meteoric hillclimb career in the Nicholson McLaren XP powered
Gould. Alongside these, he's scored an unprecedented number of hill records. Hardly surprisingly,
one of these is on his home hill at Loton Park, where he reset the outright mark on three occasions
during the 2004 season. Who better, then, to give us the inside line on just how to climb Hagley & DLCC's challenging
Shropshire hill?"
"Published in Speedscene 132 (January/March 2005). OMS Yamaha driver Jonathan Rarity's bid for the outright
Scottish Hillclimb title ended amid a three way fight at the very last, very wet, round. A mistake on the very
last corner of the Championship cost him any chance of the crown, but even so the Helensburgh driver
had taken the Scottish Speed, the Scottish Top Ten Sprint and the Scottish Highland Championship
titles, and at the end of a superb season in his 1 litre single seater was deservedly awarded the Paul
Squires Memorial Trophy by the HSA. The stage for that last, crucial Scottish Championship round was Doune,
regarded by many - if not most - people in the aport as the ultimate hillclimb challenge.
Jonanthan describes his technique for tackling this most demanding of venues; the acknowledged 'King of Hills'."
Published in Speedscene 129 (July/August 2004). "The current 1400 ModProd record holder in his
Westfield SE, Peter Herbert, describes his technique for ascending the short but tricky Cumbrian hill."
Published in Speedscene 135 (September/October 2005). "Speedscene's continental correspondent Peter Herbert
stays nearer home to describe his technique for tackling one of hillclimbing's best kept secrets."
Published in Speedscene 127 (January/March 2004). "Keith Harris visited the Cornish venue on his
way to the runner's up spot in last year's Aldon/HSA Speed Championship in his Formula Ford
Jamun M90. To mark the return of our Drive It series, Keith gives a driver's eye view of Werrington on the
run up to this year's visit on May 2."
Published in Speedscene 136 (November/December 2005). "Speedscene's 'Swift Progress' columnist Steve Chaloner
outlines his techniques for tackling one of our most challenging Southwest hillclimbs."
Published in Speedscene 113 (March/May 2001). "Top sprinter Steve Liptrott takes us round the deceptively
tricky Aintree course. Situated only a mile from the northern end of the M27, Liverpool's Aintree
circuit must be one of the most easily accessible venues available to the sprinting community."
Published in Speedscene 88 (October/December 1996). "Unlimited ModProd class record holder on thoriginal, single lap Curborough course,
Mark Waldron dispenses a few tips on how to tackle Shenstone and District Car Club's popular
Midlands sprint venue."
Published in Speedscene 97 (July/August 1998). "With all hillclimbs in Northern Ireland
run on closed public roads, Speedscene's Ulster correspondent Michael Beattie takes us up the longest
and fastest of them all."
Published in Speedscene 112 (January/February 2001). "Speedscene's Ulster correspondent Michale Beattie takes us up
Northern Ireland's British Championship hillclimb. A public road, of course......"
Published in Speedscene 100 (January/February 1999). "Airfield courses, despite the increasing
use of race circuits, have long been the mainstay of sprinting. Here Chevron-Rover V8 driver Russ Ward
guides us round one of the best.
Bristol MC's long established Colerne sprint was where Ward secured one of the most
significant wins of a long career - outright victory at the venue's 1994 British Sptint
round."
Published in Speedscene 99 (November/December 1998). "As readers will know from our recent 'Drive-it Cairncastle'
feature, Ulster public road hillclimbs are among the longest and most demanding in the sport.
Michael Beattie - second overall in last year's NI Hillclimb series driving his Vision-Vauxhall
- returns to guide us up another of these challenging venues."
Published in Speedscene 87 (August/September 1996). "Yorkshireman Peter Herbert describes his technique
tackling his home hill.
Westfield hillclimber and BMW circuit racer, former rallyman Peter Herbert's competition career
has encompassed many facets of the sport. Here he lay bare the secrets of BARC (Yorks) popular course at Stockton
Farm that first saw the light of day, in shortened form, back in 1962."
Published in Speedscene 106 (January/February 2000). "The first customer for Mike Pilbeam's
MP82 chassis, Ulsterman Robert Morgan, took the Millington powered car to the Northern Ireland
Sprint and Hillclimb Championship double in 1998 in a double defeat of legendary sparring partner
Robert Woodside. On Kirkistown's 2-lap sprint course, unique to the British series, Morgan showed the
mainland contenders the way round to win the 1999 Farndon run-off. Here he describes his technique
in the Pilbeam on the circuit where Gran Prix drivers such as John Watson and Eddie Irvine cut
their racing teeth."
Published in Speedscene 93 (September/October 1997). "Established on 'Long Course' form in
1960, there's a lot of driving packed in to the Bugatti Owners' Club's 1127 yard hill. Supersports record holder
Alan Thompson describes the way he tackles the twisting Gloucestershire climb in a Mallock."
Published in Speedscene 89 (January/February 1997). "Already an FTD man at Three Sisters,
Jamie Hylton takes us round the popular WIgan circuit.
With several alternative tracks available at the Wigan motorsport complex, here he describes the one
used most frequently. It's the one on which the Longton & DMC hosts two rounds of the Farndon
Engineering Bristish Sprint Championship."
Published in Speedscene 98 (September/October 1998). "A former Supersports record holder
at the South Devon hill, Colin Pook still holds the ASWMC 1700cc sports libre record at this most picturesque of venues."
Published in Speedscene 140 (September/October 2006). "Our South West correspondent Steve Chaloner
describes his technique for tackling one of the country's lesser known hillclimb venues"
Published in Speedscene 148 (June 2008). Not a 'Drive It' in the usual manner this article
by HSA Chairman and Caterham driver Chris Bennett recounts "A ‘baptism by snow’ on a first visit to this unusual and demanding Surrey sprint course."
Published in Speedscene 151 (December 2008). 2008 Midland Speed Champion, Gary Thomas
re-visits the popular Aintree Sprint track. "In the first of a new series of 'Drive-it'
Gary Thomas draws on his experience and success to pilot us successfully round Aintree."
Lydden Hill has recently been added to the British Sprint and HSA Championships and
has proved to be very popular amongst competitors despite being located in the far
South East of the UK.
26. Llandow
Llandow, an ex wartime airfield, close to Cardiff Airport was a popular race venue after the war for a number of year.
Re-surfaced and re-opended as a Sprint circuit in the 90s LLandow is a popular venue with its smooth
surface and friendly atmosphere. The HSA are now a regular visitor both for Sprint events and for test days.
27. Llys y Fran
Llys y Fran can be found at the far western end of the M4 and has recently been added to the HSA
calendar as part of the 'Welsh Sprint' week-end with Llandow.
28. Anglesey (Ty Croes)
The magnificent Ty Croes track at Anglesey has a number of configurations but the noe shown in the
video here is the most common Sprint variant.
29. Dyrham Park
Not a track guide yet but a series of venue photos which gives some idea about
the nature of this exciting new venue.
