Five times British Hill Climb champion Scott Moran arrives at Shelsley Walsh this weekend with a healthy lead in the current driver standings, having won six out of the first eight championship rounds.
A first and second place at Gurston Down over the weekend saw Ludlow driver Moran take his tally to 79 points, 17 ahead of Worcester driver and 2012 champion Trevor Willis and well in front of third placed driver Wallace Menzies from Scotland who is on 33 points.
Titled ‘Best of British’ the two-day event organised by the Midland Automobile Club will see the best drivers and cars from across the UK competing against the clock up the iconic hill in the MSA British Championship, together with hosting the Hill Climb Leaders Championship and the Midland Hill Climb Championship.
Hereford driver Mike Turpin currently leads the highly competitive Midlands contest which sees a wide variety of sports, saloon, classic and racing cars competing in several very different classes for overall championship points.
Around a dozen Ferrari cars will be taking part in their own hill climb national championship with examples including 355, 360, 430 and Dino 308 GT4.
Besides the large-engined and crowd pleasing unlimited class racing cars, no fewer that 28 lightweight single-seater motorcycle-engined machines are entered in the 1100cc class which provides particularly close and exciting competition with car constructor Steve Owen, Martley driver Chris Aspinall and Worcester drivers Simon Fidoe and Simon Andrews seeded to fight for the honours.
The increasingly popular 2litre racing car class has been split into two sections, one for normally aspirated more traditional cars such as Pilbeam, Dallara and Lola cars, with another section for latest technology lightweight machines, powered by forced induction motorcycle engines including Force, DJ Firehawk and Gould cars, with large entries in both classes.
Fifteen cars are entered in classes for racing cars manufactured before 1971 and 1985 that sees examples from Lola, Chevron, Brabham and Lotus.
Saturday will see practice and qualifying for all cars starting at 9.15am with competition timed runs in programme order on Sunday and a ‘run-off’ for the fastest 12 cars entered into the British Championship at the end of both morning and afternoon sessions