The huge popularity of the annual Prescott Historique meeting has seen the event expanded to a two day event this season with a bumper competitive field sharing the weekend of May 25th/26th with demonstrations by some truly iconic machinery, including what many enthusiasts regard as one of the all-time great racing car, the BRM V16.
Both days will see competitors in some of the country’s leading championships in action, among them host club, the Bugatti Owners’ Club’s highly popular Fassi Classic Speed Championship.
Championship single seater honours in last season’s event went to the unique Buckler Ballamy Special of Jermey Rivers-Fletcher and he will be back in action this weekend along with a diverse array of racing, sports and saloon cars.
The Paul Matty Lotus Championship, meanwhile, has attracted a wide variety of both the Norfolk marque’s single seater racing machinery and their roadgoing sports cars while the TR Register Speed Championship will feature Dolomite Sprint saloons along with Triumph’s TR sports cars through from the TR3A of Chris Smith to V8 powered TR7s such as that of Steve Small.
A third single make series is the Healey Sport Championship with Austin Healey Sprites, 100s and 3000s joined by a lone Jensen Healey.
The Bert Hadley Memorial Championship commemorates a great Midlands racing driver and engineer whose name is synonymous with the Austin 7. The field contesting this series features a diverse array of Austin 7 based machinery.
The field for the ERA Register category may be rather smaller but it includes some truly iconic racing machinery. Founded in 1933 by, among others, regular Prescott competitor Raymond Mays, English Racing Automobiles sought to fly their home country’s flag in races all around Europe.
The B Type, such as that driven this weekend by David Ellison first saw the light of day in 1935 while the D Type of Ben Fidler appeared in 1937. Tom Hardman’s AJM1 was actually built in the 1980’s from original ERA parts.
Prescott is, of course, the home of the Bugatti Owners’ Club who have owned the venue since 1937. The Monaco Trophy features an impressive variety of the French Marque’s model including the Type 51 of Edmund Burgess in which he broke the longstanding Bugatti hill record at last year’s Historique meeting.
Rather smaller single seaters are those participating in the 500 Owners Association series. These diminutive 500cc engined machines competed in the Formula Three series of their day with some of the all-time great racers such as Stirling Moss and Peter Collins behind the wheel.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the most diverse array of machinery is that lining up for the Bugatti Owners’ Club Members and All comers Handicap with iconic racing brands such as Frazer Nash, Lotus and Brabham competing alongside great roadgoing machines including a Mini Cooper S and a Ford Sierra Cosworth.
As if all that competitive action was not enough there are some mouth-watering machines lined up for demonstration runs. The BRM V16 may not have enjoyed the most successful racing career in its day but it is now idolised by motorsport afficianados, it will be joined on the hill by a Cooper T90 built by the marque established by father and son Charles and John Cooper.
The McLaren marque was, of course, established by New Zealand racing great Bruce McLaren and on hand this weekend will be the M18 Formula 5000 car.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the launch of the Jedi marque who specialise in the production of bike engine powered single seaters. Recently restored is their very first racing machine, Jedi Chassis 1 and it will be taking to the Prescott hill this weekend.
Also putting in some demonstration runs will be ERA GP1 while ERA GP2 will be on static display along with a fabulous Bugatti EB110 road car.
Friends of Prescott will also be raffling 'Thrill on the Hill' Rides both days and also have a Postman Pat Van on hand for younger visitors to have their photo taken with!
This feast of motorsport nostalgia gets underway from 8.30am and runs until 5.00 pm on both Saturday and Sunday with early bird tickets still available online for £18 for the day or £30 for a weekend ticket. Accompanied under 16s will be admitted free of charge.
More information and early bird tickets are available on the website prescotthillclimb.co.uk
With a host of trade stands on hand along with a wide variety of refreshment outlets this is a weekend not to be missed for motorsport lovers everywhere.
EVENT TIMETABLE
Friday 24th May
1000hrs – Paddock and Orchard Access for Invited Cars
1300hrs - Paddock and Orchard opens
1700hrs - Clubhouse opens (food service from 1800hrs - 2000hrs)
1900hrs - Paddock closes
Clubhouse open till late
Saturday 25th May
0700hrs - Paddock Access Opens
0820hrs - Earliest engines can be started
0830hrs - 1230hrs – Practice
1240hrs - Demonstration Runs
Ex-Roy Lane McLaren
Cooper T90
ERA GP1
Jedi Chassis # 1
Jaguar D Type
1970s BRM
BRM V16
Lunch - Featuring Photo Shoots
Bugattis at Ettores Loop
ERA's on Start Line
Fassi Classic Speed Championship on Start Line
1330hrs - Demonstration Runs (Live Stream Starts on HillClimb TV's You Tube Channel)
Ex-Roy Lane McLaren
Cooper T90
ERA GP1
Jedi Chassis # 1
Jaguar D Type
1970s BRM
BRM V16
1340hrs - Timed Runs
Awards Presentation in the Clubhouse
Sunday 26th May
0700hrs - Paddock Access Opens
0820hrs - Earliest engines can be started
0830hrs - 1230hrs – Practice
1200hrs - Demonstration Runs
Ex-Roy Lane McLaren
Cooper T90
ERA GP1
Jedi Chassis # 1
Jaguar D Type
1970s BRM
BRM V16
Lunch - Featuring Photo Shoots
Bugattis at Ettores Loop
Allards at Allards Gap (Semi Circle)
Official Opening of Start and Finish Gantries in memory of Frank Ashley
1300hrs - Demonstration Runs (Live Stream Starts on HillClimb TV's You Tube Channel)
Ex-Roy Lane McLaren
Cooper T90
ERA GP1
Jedi Chassis # 1
Jaguar D Type
1970s BRM
BRM V16
1315hrs - Timed Runs
Awards Presentation in the Clubhouse
INTERVIEW STAGE
Located outside the Clubhouse on both days with interviews from 1000hrs on the hour, every hour.
BUGATTI TRUST
Open from 1000hrs - 1500hrs both days
TRADE VILLAGE
Simon Lewis Books
Italian Miniatures
David Thomas Motoring Books
Swiss Bear
Framed Models
Classic Car Keys
CLUBHOUSE MENU
Friday - Open for Food and Drinks from 1700hrs - late
Friday Evening Meal Served from 1800hrs - 2000hrs
Cod goujons, chunky chips, mushy peas and tartare sauce £12
Vegan burger with chunky chips and salad £11
Saturday - Open for Food and Drinks from 0700hrs - 2300hrs
Breakfast Served 0700hrs to 1100hrs
Full English Breakfast - £12.45
Breakfast Baps - £4.75
Pastries £2.40
Hot Lunch Served from 1200hrs to 1500hrs
Chicken, bacon and leek casserole with roast new potatoes and green beans £12 GF
Local ham, chunky chips and fried egg £12 GF
Vegan pumpkin gnocchi served with mixed leaf salad £10 VE
Deli
Freshly filled sub rolls (Ham and mustard mayonnaise, Tuna and cucumber, Cheese and pickle, Egg mayonnaise) £4.75
Jacket potatoes with tuna mayonnaise / beans / cheese £8
Evening Meal Served from 1800hrs - 2000hrs
Old spot sausages, creamy mash, onion gravy and peas £11 can be GF
Quorn sausages, creamy mash, peas and gravy £10 VE
Sunday - Open for Food and Drinks from 0700hrs - 1900hrs (approx.)
Breakfast Served 0700hrs to 1100hrs
Full English Breakfast - £12.45
Breakfast Baps - £4.75
Pastries £2.40
Hot Lunch Served from 1200hrs to 1500hrs
Beef and ale pie served with chunky chips and peas £12.50 GF
Wholetail scampi served with chunky chips, tartare sauce and lemon £12
Roast root vegetable and spinach pie with chunky chips and peas £11 VE
Deli
Freshly filled sub rolls (Ham and mustard mayonnaise, Tuna and cucumber, Cheese and pickle, Egg mayonnaise) £4.75
Jacket potatoes with tuna mayonnaise / beans / cheese £8
We also welcome the wonderful Belistore with their selection of bacon rolls, beef briskett and brownies. The Great British Toastie with their wide array of toastie selection, My Shout Coffee with their artisan coffee and cakes, plus our regular Ice Cream men!
