THE CHATEAU Impney Hill Climb roared its way back onto the motorsport calendar after the first one in almost 50 years was held over the weekend.
And there was some local success at the event when a Bromsgrove man, tackling his first competitive hill climb, set the fastest time of the day.
Jack Woodhouse, 25, completed the new 1,000-yard course in just 42.42 seconds in front of almost 10,000 spectators.
He said: “It feels pretty special to be the first winner of the Chateau Impney Hill Climb – living just a few miles away from the Chateau, it’s a bit of a home event for me.
“It’s been great to be part something new and even more so as my dad has also been involved and my family has been here watching.”
He added he hoped to be invited back next year so he could have a crack at defending his title.
Jack’s dad Mark also won his class, notching up a time of just 45.71secs – the 15th fastest time of the weekend.
“I am obviously delighted to win my class but I am absolutely thrilled that Jack’s driven so well over the weekend and secured the fastest time of the day – what an honour.
“It’s a nice local event, just down the road for us, and it’s been a fantastic venue to have a hill climb on,” he said.
The Chateau Impney Hill Climb was originally held between 1957 and 1967 and this year’s event saw more than 200 pre-1967 cars descend on Droitwich from across the UK to take part.
Organisers have hailed the event a huge success and have been overwhelmed by the response from competitors and the public – many who took to social media across the weekend to post their thoughts and pictures.
Rod Spollon, the chairman of the Chateau Impney Hill Climb Club, said: “What a weekend.
“When we decided to bring motorsport back to Chateau Impney, we knew the event had great potential, but we have been taken aback by the support and enthusiasm of the people who came through the gates over the last two days.”
The Standard reported last week how hundreds of thousands of pounds had been spent to ensure the venue was perfect for the weekend and how it had generated £1million for the local economy because of contracts and work for local businesses and jobs created.
As well as the racing, there was also a breath-taking air display, a trade village featuring over 60 exhibitors, a classic car auction by H&H Auctions and a Concours d’Elegance showcasing 25 of the world’s most elegant cars.
But the most popular area was the open paddock – there spectators could view all of the participating cars close-up and meet the competitors and mechanics responsible for their performance.
See our video of some of the event, filmed by Standard reporter Beth Sharp and our pictures from the day by our photographer.
