Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Between the rally and endurance racing events I got a bit bored so have just decided I'm going to add hillclimbing to my list of motorsport expenses!

I've just entered the Harewood event on July 4th which will be my first. Never driven it before so will be a bit of a baptism of fire.

Anyone else do it? Any tips for a novice other than go flat out and don't bin it?

Clutch and diff will take some hammer. I always found it a bit tedious, lot's of hanging around and little action. Harewood is a nice venue though lovely scenery. Light weight, sticky tyres and quick gearchanges. 944 not really suited imho.
Harewood is one I didn't do in the couple of years I did Sprints and Hillclimbs, never did another after my first race at Silverstone, then 20yrs Club racing. Gave that up when the car got too precious to prang and went doing track days on my Ducati, Ring included, now that's what I call fun.

The car is set up for taking that sort of hammer for 5 days, not just 67 seconds!

Will be interesting to see how the car goes though. In my class looks like a Ferrari 360, TVR Chim and a TVR V8S regularly appear. Not sure if they're all there that day though.

This won't be in place of anything, just in addition to as a bit of low cost competitive fun.

I can't stand simple track days, no fun at all when there isn't anything at stake.

Some sprints are a good deal longer (Aintree for example, and those at MIRA). Little you can do about the class though. PCGBs series is attractive because theyre extremely conservative about what constitutes a 'modified' car; whereas most other series are modification Nazis.

I see Anglesey do sprints. Quite fancy that as I know it like the back of my hand. Could be fun.

Been a hillclimb fan since the 1980's when my late father & I used to follow the Hillclimb championship around England. Started building a kart to hillclimb then the MSA banned them so started on a Ford Pop (I'll post pics later!) which when I met my ex she hated so that was the end of that. Spectated at La En vie Blue at Prescott 3 years ago & really enjoyed that. Then did Prescott Revival a few years ago with Sean & I did a few hill runs in the Boxster. Realised the urge hasn't gone away & only did the two runs as I was getting competitive. Then did the SELNK event at Crystal Palace a few weeks ago & still the urge returned. The Boxster isn't an ideal comp car or even track day toy, so it'll probably be a Caterfield or maybe an Mx5 or 944 or similar. Never been to Harewood, but it looks a nice hill.

Scratches chin, July the 4th, might see if I can get a pass out.... Looks like I might be in Leeds for a funeral on the Friday......

Cheers Jim.

We'll have plenty of biscuits so feel free to come over and say hello if you do make it.

I've got a very good feeling about this. The people all seem very welcoming, inclusive and happy to share their experience.

Hillclimbing is awesome, great camaraderie. I've seen guys crash & the whole paddock help to fix it so he can get another run.
Standing next to a car that is much lighter than an F1 car with 700BHP going off the start line is an experience. I don't apologise for posting this one again. This is Doune in Scotland another hill I've never been to & this video is NOT speeded up.
Scott Moran has been British HillClimb Champ quite few years

The class structure for most hillclimb competitions doesn't really suit 944s. The classes tend to be "up to 1400cc", "Up to 2000cc" and "the big boys". So 944s tend to end up facing some very powerful opposition. On the "power hills" like Gurston and Shelsley they're pretty hopeless. They fare slightly better at places like Prescott. For those reasons, they are an uncommon sight on the hills.

Well we'll soon put that right.

There was a 924s with a supercharged 968 in the engine bay at Gursdon on Saturday. Now that went very well ! However its the taking part that counts, everyone that I have met at hillclimbs are great people, and costs very little to try.

Im in my ist year of sprints & hill climbs in Northern ireland and having very good fun with that extra competition aspect rather than lapping trackdays. But have come to notice my 86 944turbo is not suited to the tighter hills. Last one was Cultra hill climb in belfast and i was going down to 1st for 90% of corners. As some were to tight so very low revs off the turbo in 2nd.
sprints suit my car better more chance to use turbo.
heres a couple of pics from cultra.

Simon, I suspect you need a lower final drive. The 944 in common with a lot of German cars is quite highly geared. This is one of the reasons road cars & comp cars aren't the same.

Time to move to 15" wheels, or fit an S2 transaxle.