Devon celebrates a festival of speed in record-breaking motorsport event

Wiscombe Park’s recent British Championship event was a record breaker in every way.  The award-winning speed hillclimb venue near Honiton hosted the fastest cars and drivers in the UK at this annual festival of speed.

The event being part of a 30-round Championship that takes competitors to venues from Doune in Scotland to the stunning Wiscombe estate in Devon and includes events in Ireland and the Channel Islands.

The practice sessions on Saturday morning were completed under overcast skies with a light shower of rain mid-morning forcing drivers to treat the sharp hairpin bends at Wis, Sawbench and Martini with additional respect. There are no prizes for risking all to achieve a quick time during practice.

The hill was dry for the event runs in the afternoon, the highlight being the fastest drivers qualifying for the British Championship Top 12 Run Off and the Tin Top Challenge Top 10 Run Off – a dedicated championship for saloon type cars with roofs.

For the 2024 British Champion and current Championship leader, Matt Ryder, it was a textbook performance of smooth driving and speed to clinch the win with a time of 32.74s – his eleventh of the season.

Going into the weekend, he had a lead of six points over his nearest rival, four times Champion, Wallace Menzies. The rapid Scot could only manage third place behind 2015 Champion, Alex Summers.

On Sunday, the drivers were presented with similar weather conditions to Saturday for morning practice. The first event runs were well underway in the afternoon when there was a very heavy, hour-long downpour.

The paddock became frantic with activity as drivers hurriedly replaced slick tyres with either intermediate or wet ones. The 1000-yard course comprising two long straights and three hairpin bends is challenging in the dry - in the wet it becomes potentially treacherous.

The difficult conditions produced a few incidents for the marshals to deal with. However, importantly, there were no drivers injured – a testament to the high safety standards. Just a few damaged cars that will live to fight again.

Continuing his great form from Saturday, it was Matt Ryder who again set the fastest time of the day - 38.29s - to complete a weekend “double” and notch up win number twelve. For Wallace Menzies, it was a rather disappointing sixth place.

Matt Ryder extended his Championship lead to 13 points. Will Hall consolidated his third place in the Championship with a fourth and a second place from the Wiscombe weekend.

In the Tin Top Challenge, on Saturday the Run Off honour’s were claimed by Damien Bradley - Subaru Impreza Type RB; on Sunday the 2024 Champion and current Championship leader, Simon Bainbridge, took top spot in his SBR Chrono to maintain his lead over Damien Bradley by a healthy 22 points.

Despite the weather conditions not being conducive to breaking records, surprisingly, four drivers still established new Class records. Dawlish Warren golf professional and Torbay Motor Club member, Jon Langmead, was a record breaker on Saturday – setting a time of 42.22s in his Lotus Elise 135R.

Other drivers setting records were Plymouth racer Alex Coles – 34.06s in his Force TA; Sarah Bosworth - Van Diemen RF85 - 43.19s; and Damien Bradley - Subaru Impreza Type RB - 39.62s.

For the first time in its 67-year history, Wiscombe Park welcomed a foreign hillclimb Champion – Australian Dean Tighe chose the event to make his UK debut. He was so impressed, he may well return in 2026 to undertake more events.

The event also attracted Wiscombe Park’s biggest ever crowd - great news for the event organisers, Woolbridge Motor Club. It also provides a big boost for South West motorsport.

The Wiscombe Park venue allows spectators to get very close to the action – and with the fastest cars achieving speeds of 130mph on the straights, a visit to Wiscombe Park is as much of an adrenaline rush for the spectators as it is for the competitors.

The next event at Wiscombe Park is the Five Clubs on the weekend of September 6 and 7 and tickets are now on sale from www.wiscombepark.co.uk