15 replies to this topic

[Paulleek]

Mystery solved - this has been bugging me for years:

In the book Uphill Racers by Chris Mason, Page 296, ref 1978 it states:

"Another happy event, which made up in a small way for the loss of Pontypool Park, was the first meeting for six years at Bodiam. The Hastings 1066 Club were able to come to terms with the land's new owner, the Reverend M.N. France, to use the former Guinness land although about 10 yards were lopped off the timed distance at the start."

 

So there were no events in 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1977.

 

So, Bodiam ran 1955-1972, 1978-1986.

 

We still need information ref 1978, 1980 and most of all 1984. During September?

 

RGDS RLT

 

My jaw dropped when I read this Rupert...I'm Pontypool born and bred. Although I left for university in 1975 and (as you know from my earlier post) live near Bodiam, I'm back there often. I had never heard of the Pontypool Park hillclimb!

[Paulleek]

Does anybody have a map of the Pontypool Park course? BTW I see a programme cover of the 1971 event on the web which states it's the seventeenth running.

Edited by Paulleek, 20 November 2019 - 15:27.

[Rupertlt1]

My jaw dropped when I read this Rupert...I'm Pontypool born and bred. Although I left for university in 1975 and (as you know from my earlier post) live near Bodiam, I'm back there often. I had never heard of the Pontypool Park hillclimb!

 

Paul,

Not the least of reasons for writing this stuff down! Can I suggest you start a thread ref Pontypool Park and we'll get cracking!

AFAIK 1967 was the first year organised by the B.A.R.C.

I've been working on Castel Farm here: https://forums.autos...south-wales-uk/

Have you got anywhere with Marchant & Cox? (It would be good to nail this.)

Also anything ref Bodiam in 1955, and its second incarnation 1978-1986.

 

RGDS RLT 

Edited by Rupertlt1, 18 November 2019 - 16:12.

[Stephen W]

Does anybody have a map of the Pontypool Park course? BTW I see a programme cover of the 1971 event on the web which sates it's the seventeenth running.

 

I have posted a scan of the Pontypool Park hill climb course on the Facebook "TNFers on Facebook" group. (https://www.facebook...s/101291917715/)

[Tim Murray]

For those who don’t ‘do’ Facebook (and hoping Steve doesn’t mind):

[Tim Murray]

The posts above this one were originally posted in the Bodiam Hill Climb thread and were moved to this new thread about Pontypool.

[moffspeed]

Fond memories, Paul I'm surprised you never heard (literally) of the Pontypool climb in your youth. Like yourself I went off to Uni. in the mid 70's but not before covering the Pontypool fixtures for Motoring News as a cub reporter in the event's final years (I was Cardiff based).

 

It was a wonderful venue, starting down alongside the rugby club, a quick blast up the tree lined avenue to the pond, hairpin right and then the Esses before the course disappeared further up the hill into a sapling plantation. So it was only the first half of the course that was accessible to the public.

 

The place to watch was the Esses, a bit like the Pardon/Esses section at Prescott - plenty of options to get it wrong. On the bank above the Esses Dickie Davies (not that one) would park his DB5 and provide the commentary.

 

A shame when it all ended, but Penrice then made a brief appearance...

 

Paul, I now live in Iden, East Sussex and have similarly fond memories of attending both Bodiam and Sutton Valence hill-climbs.

Edited by moffspeed, 19 November 2019 - 14:12.

[Rupertlt1]

B.A.R.C. South Wales Centre, 12 July 1970, Restricted

FTD David Morris (U2) 32.70 sec

Class 1&2:

1. John Lang (Ford Cortina-Lotus Mk1) 41.48  41.54

2. Arthur Challoner (Triumph Vitesse) 42.57  41.89

Class 3

1. Henry Blacklidge (Mini) 34.96  35.27

2. John Pascoe (Mini)      35.27  35.17

3. Alex Boyle (Mini)       36.32  36.50

Class 4

1. David Franklin (Imp)    35.35  35.07

2. Sandy Hutcheon (Mini)   35.34  35.46

Class 5

1. John Davies (Mini 1293) 34.74

2. Michael Lewis (Anglia 1558)

3. Richard Evans (Minisprint 1311)

Class 6

1. Graham Kettley (Midget 1293) 37.15  37.04

2. John Hawley (Midget 1098)

3. M. Whittock (Mini-Marcos)

Class 7&8

1. Dennis Parsons (2.1 Morgan Plus 4) 39.52  38.47

2. Tom Pascoe (Porsche 356)           38.66  38.76

Class 10&11

1. Mike Thomas (Paola 1275 GT)        35.69  36.53

2. C.G. Brown (4.2 Turner V8 Ford)

Class 13&14

1. David Morris (U2) 33.04  33.57

2. Jeff Hill (U2)    33.33  33.75 

3. Bill Morris (U2)  35.60  35.28

Class 16

1. T. Smith (Cooper T72)        33.34  33.00

2. Stephen Cuff (Cooper-J.A.P.) 33.78  33.84

3. Alan Humphries (Lotus 18)

Larger racing cars

1. David Phillips (Nitus 1600)  34.44  34.48

Motoring News, Thursday July 16, 1970, M.P.T.

 

RGDS RLT 

Edited by Rupertlt1, 19 November 2019 - 14:54.

[moffspeed]

B.A.R.C. South Wales Centre, 12 July 1970, Restricted

FTD David Morris (U2) 32.70 sec

Class 1&2:

1. John Lang (Ford Cortina-Lotus Mk1) 41.48  41.54

2. Arthur Challoner (Triumph Vitesse) 42.57  41.89

Class 3

1. Henry Blacklidge (Mini) 34.96  35.27

2. John Pascoe (Mini)      35.27  35.17

3. Alex Boyle (Mini)       36.32  36.50

Class 4

1. David Franklin (Imp)    35.35  35.07

2. Sandy Hutcheon (Mini)   35.34  35.46

Class 5

1. John Davies (Mini 1293) 34.74

2. Michael Lewis (Anglia 1558)

3. Richard Evans (Minisprint 1311)

Class 6

1. Graham Kettley (Midget 1293) 37.15  37.04

2. John Hawley (Midget 1098)

3. M. Whittock (Mini-Marcos)

Class 7&8

1. Dennis Parsons (2.1 Morgan Plus 4) 39.52  38.47

2. Tom Pascoe (Porsche 356)           38.66  38.76

Class 10&11

1. Mike Thomas (Paola 1275 GT)        35.69  36.53

2. C.G. Brown (4.2 Turner V8 Ford)

Class 13&14

1. David Morris (U2) 33.04  33.57

2. Jeff Hill (U2)    33.33  33.75 

3. Bill Morris (U2)  35.60  35.28

Class 16

1. T. Smith (Cooper T72)        33.34  33.00

2. Stephen Cuff (Cooper-J.A.P.) 33.78  33.84

3. Alan Humphries (Lotus 18)

Larger racing cars

1. David Phillips (Nitus 1600)  34.44  34.48

Motoring News, Thursday July 16, 1970, M.P.T.

 

RGDS RLT 

Yes, that was our report,  MPT = Moffat, Price-Taylor.  David and Billy Morris were the local hotshots at the time, the potato farmers from Haverford West shared a very effective Mallock.  Looks like Billy was having a bit of an off day though.

 

These little Welsh towns are full of surprises, 25 miles west of Ponty John Surtees (on a hastily cobbled-together Vincent) won his first ever motorcycle race at Aberdare Park in 1950...

[bradbury west]

And a very young, perhaps, Bristolian David Franklin in his Imp. Still , after all these years, one of the safest pairs of hands at the wheel of some of the finest historic race cars.
Roger Lund

[Paulleek]

Paul,

Not the least of reasons for writing this stuff down! Can I suggest you start a thread ref Pontypool Park and we'll get cracking!

AFAIK 1967 was the first year organised by the B.A.R.C.

I've been working on Castel Farm here: https://forums.autos...south-wales-uk/

Have you got anywhere with Marchant & Cox? (It would be good to nail this.)

Also anything ref Bodiam in 1955, and its second incarnation 1978-1986.

 

RGDS RLT 

 

Not had chance to get onto the Marchant & Cox history yet Rupert. I'll be back in the UK at the end of November, but will contact them in advance of that and report back.

[moffspeed]

Of course Pontypool went on to host a round of the British Championship between '72 and '77, the big boys (AD-O, Sir Nick etc) running 27's with Martin Griffiths getting tantalising close to a 26.  The run up to the pond was frightening with stout unprotected trees (OK - the occasional straw bale) either side. Despite this no one came to any major grief although Roger Andreason did have a big one up towards the plantation area in his Marcos (HOT 1E).

 

Maybe it is just my memory playing romantic games but I'm pretty sure Tommy Pascoe was busy chewing on a cigar when he made his ascents in the 356. The Paola was a pretty little thing and very effective, nicely engineered with a BMC 1275 at the blunt end. It lost its roof and gullwing doors and evolved into a sort of mini Can Am car  with a Lotus twin-cam. It survives today with an AlfaSud engine. The Nitus was a bit unconventional - a supercharged Bedford van engine with BRM style smokestacks - quick though.

 

A local Citroen agent entered a standard GS one year, impressively slow but on the collection run back down the hill appeared with the pneumatic suspension jacked up and one rear wheel missing - one way of gaining publicity.

[Rupertlt1]

27 April 1969, 2nd Round of BARC Hill Climb Championship

FTD: Tom Christie (1.3 Cooper S) 33.97 sec (#17, reg LSO 150)

second FTD: Jeff Goodliff (1.3 s/c BVRT Mini) 33.99

Top Ten:

1. J. Goodliff 33.99

2. P. Voigt (1.0 DRW-Imp) 34.66

3. A. Staniforth (1.0 Terrapin Mini) 34.77

4. C. Cramer (1.3 Cooper S) 34.95   

5. R. Blacklidge (1.3 Cooper S) 35.78

6. J. Moore (1.3 Ginetta) 35.80

7. D.H. Way (1.9 Morgan) 36.94

8. J. Northcroft (1.1 MG Midget) 37.10

9. A.G. Hutcheon (1.0 Cooper S) 37.14

10. K.W. Ashby (1.5 MG Midget) 37.45

Class winners:

J. Pascoe (1.3 Cooper S) 36.35

C. Cramer (1.3 Cooper S) 35.26

B. Preston (1.3 BMC Mini) 35.95

F.J. Whittaker (1.3 MG Midget) 39.12

Miss J. Day (1.5 Marcos) 38.78

V. Cooper (4.2 Jaguar E) 39.54

J. Northcroft (1.1 MG Midget) 36.18

B. Alexander (3.5 TVR) 35.71

A.J. Bennett (1.0 Lotus 7) 38.68

P. Voigt (1.0 DRW-Imp) 34.82

J.M. McCartney (1.9 Felday-BRM) 35.24

A. Staniforth (1.0 Terrapin Mini) 34.58

Winifred Heaton-Rudd (1.5 Rudeani) 36.53

Motoring News, Thursday May 1, 1969, Page 24

 

RGDS RLT

[Rupertlt1]

PONTYPOOL. Location — 155/291005 — On North

side of A.472 within the town of Pontypool, 8 miles

N. N. W. of Newport, Mon. Length 850 yards.

1968 EVENTS

May 12, June 23, Sept 1, Sept 29?

1969 EVENTS

April 27-Hill Climb (see above)

June 22-Hill Climb

July 20-National Hill Climb

August 31-Hill Climb

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 21 November 2019 - 21:26.

[Rupertlt1]

20 September 1970, Castrol BARC Hill Climb Championship 

FTD: S. Elton (Brabham BT21C 1590 c.c.) 32.46 - ex-Sir Nick Williamson

Class results:

Class 1&2:

1. J. Meredith (Cooper 998) 38.98 - record

Class 3:

1. J. Pascoe (1.3 Cooper S) 34.90

2. Nicky Porter

3. Henry Blacklidge

Class 4

1. Sandy Hutcheon (998 Mini) 35.18

2. David Franklin (Imp) 35.21

Class 5

B. Preston (1.3 BMC Mini) 35.75

Class 6:

1. C.Seaman (Midget 1293) 36.30 - record

Class 7:

1. Michael Benn (WRA Marcos 1600) 34.37

2. Roger Andreason (Marcos) 35.15

3. Judy Andreason (Marcos) 

Class 8

1. Spotty Smith (TVR 4727 c.c.) 33.72 - record

Class 10:

P. Channon (A.C. Cobra) 36.47

Class 11&12

1. Mike Thomas (Paola 1275 GT) 33.93

Class 13&14 

1. David Morris (Mallock Mk6) 32.61 - record

Large sports racing class:

1. Brian Alexander (Ginetta G16 Oldsmobile) 33.44 - record

Small racing cars:

1. Stephen Cuff (Cooper-J.A.P. 1098) 33.93

2. Tom Elton (Cooper-J.A.P.)

Large racing cars:

D. Phillips (Nitus 1598) 34.88

Top Ten: D. Morris (Mallock Mk6) 32.65

Motoring News, 1 October 1970, Page 23, M.P.T./B.A.R.C. News, Nov 1970

 

RGDS RLT

[Tim Murray]

While looking for something else I’ve just come across this snippet in Motoring News for 19-Jul-1973:

The RAC Hillclimb Championship round at Pontypool Park never got off the ground on Sunday as a strike of council workers meant that the park gates were left locked and there was no way that they could be opened!

It’s now hoped to run the event on September 16th, the date originally set aside for the Castrol/BARC round at the same venue.