GRAEME WIGHT JUNIOR BREAKS 25 SECONDS AT SHELSLEY WALSH

History was made this afternoon at Shelsley Walsh in Worcestershire when Graeme Wight Junior broke his own June 2001 outright record when he took the mark down to 24.85 seconds in his Gould V6. It was fitting that Sir Stirling Moss was there to see the memorable run - he having been part of making history when driving at the hill in the late 1940's. Wight Junior's time has meant that the reigning British Hill Climb Champion takes a £1000 bonus for breaking the record - a prize that has been up for grabs for nearly eight years now. Footman James Insurance whom sponsored the event saw a record crowd spill through the gates for a June meeting at Shelsley Walsh.

President of the MAC John Moody said the crowd was, "Not quite as big as our MAC 100 celebrations last August, but we have been over the moon with the numbers through the gate, the weather which was better than forecast, the amount of records in all of the classes, the outright record to have gone to such a sportsman, and to Sir Stirling Moss. He really has not stopped for 24 hours since he arrived here on Saturday evening signing autographs, greeting people and having photos taken. He has seen a great deal of motor sport over his career, but he was awestruck with the British Championship cars charging through the kink at 125 mph at the Ess approach which says something for the level of Hill Climbing at the moment. Just a fabulous day that will stay in many people's minds for a very long time."

Watching the final run off from the outside of the top left hander before the Bottom Ess, Sir Stirling Moss was vociferously impressed at the commitment and speed some of the most accelerative racing cars in the country. Moss spoke at a lunch during the middle of a day in which he signed nearly a thousand autographs at four separate autograph sessions around the 1000 yard hill after opening the hill in an ex-works C-Type Jaguar and then driving a HWM and a Cooper 500, each twice, during the day.

The 28 degree conditions made for a perfect Shelsley day as Wight Junior sped to the first ever 24 second run at the World's most historic motor sport venue that has been run by the Midland Automobile Club since 1905. Unfortunately he was unable to attack the record further in the afternoon run off due to the Rdiff breaking, but Deryk Young clinched his first ever British Hill Climb Championship win in his self built Dallara / Pilbeam hybred with a 4 litre Judd V8 in the back of it. For the Herefordshire man to win at one of his favourtie venues, he was extactic especially after having overcome a recent illness.

The rest of the programme threw up a flurry of new records too, a brand new start line surface giving an enormous amount of grip for the super sticky rear tyres for the class record setters. They included Howard Savage-Jones' Megabusa, Mark Butlers' 5 litre V8 Dax Rush, Roy Standley's EVO IV Mitsubishi in the saloon car class, Tony Hunt in his Jedi 600cc, Phil Cooke in his Force 1600 who took a 1992 mark but in the 2 litre class there was action all the way with three people ducking underneath the record. Ben Butterfield and Paul Haimes were quick, but it was Trevor Willis' OMS which was hit the top of the sheets. In the over 2 litre class Graeme Wight Junior took the class record from June 2001 too.

New Pilbeam MP88 of roger Moran had an oil leak and did not qualify for either run off, whilst Tim Coventry has temporarily stood back from the Championship, aiming to compete at three selected venues between now and the end of the year.

In the Tran-X British Hill Climb Championship Graeme Wight Junior has 98 points to Tim Mason's 85 and Simon Durling's 66.

Sunday June 2nd 2002