54°36′58″N 5°47′17″W / 54.616°N 5.788°W / 54.616; -5.788

Craigantlet
LocationCraigantlet, Northern Ireland
Time zoneGMT
Major EventsBritish Hill Climb Championship
Hill Length1,460 yards (1,340 m)
Hill Record39.56 (Trevor Willis, 2012, British Hill Climb Championship)

Craigantlet Hillclimb, a speed event organised by the Ulster Automobile Club, was first held in 1913. It is the only such venue in Northern Ireland to host a round (latterly two rounds) of the British Hill Climb Championship, which started in 1947.

The current course is 1,460 yards (1335 metres) in length, and unlike hillclimbs in the rest of the UK is laid out on closed public roads. Sections of the course are named for past winners, in order of ascent: Howe, Hall, Hadley, Mays Cross, Allard, Wharton Straight, Pringle.[1]

Tragedy struck at Craigantlet in 1995 when Mark Colton was killed in practice for the event. The meeting was abandoned.

The hill record currently stands at 39.63 seconds, set by Scott Moran on 2 August 2008, driving a Gould GR61.[2]

Craigantlet Hillclimb past winners

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Year Driver Vehicle Time Notes
1913 Harry Ferguson Vauxhall 25 h.p. 103 sec [3] 1⅛ mile course.
1930 Earl Howe Mercedes 98.4 sec [4] 1⅛ mile course.
1931 R.G.J. Nash Frazer Nash 1½ litre s/c 89.2 sec R [5]
1932 W. Sullivan Lea-Francis 95.8 sec [6]
1933 E.D. Hall M.G. Magnette 1,086 c.c. s/c 86.6 sec R [7] 26 Aug.
1934 Eddie Hall M.G. K3 87.4 sec
1935 Eddie Hall M.G. Magnette 83.2 sec [8] 31 Aug.
1936 H.L. Hadley Austin 747 c.c. sidevalve 82.2 sec [9]
1937 H.L. Hadley Austin Seven 82.4 sec [10]
1938 Bert Hadley Austin Seven 83.0 sec [11] 27 Aug.
1939 Cancelled.[12]
1946 K.W. Bear Bugatti 3-litre 85.6 sec [13] 31 Aug; Wet.
1947 Sydney Allard Steyr-Allard 87.0 sec [14] 30 Aug; Hot.
1948 Raymond Mays E.R.A. 75.8 sec [15] 28 Aug; Course shortened 50 yards.
1949 Sydney Allard Steyr-Allard 73.4 sec [16]
1950 Sydney Allard Steyr-Allard 75.0 sec [17]
1951 Sydney Allard Steyr-Allard 73.0 sec R [18] 11 Aug; 1,833 yards.
1952 Ken Wharton Cooper 1,000 s/c 80.2 sec [19]
1953 Ken Wharton Cooper s/c 70.6 sec R [20] 8 Aug; 1,833 yards; Sunny.
1954 Ken Wharton E.R.A R4D 70.11 sec R [21]
1955 Ken Wharton E.R.A. s/c 70.3 sec [22] 6 Aug.
1956 Malcolm Templeton Lotus-Climax 1,098 c.c. 87.13 sec [23] 18 Aug; 1,833 yards.
1957 Dick Henderson Cooper-J.A.P. 69.26 sec [24]
1958 David Boshier-Jones Cooper-J.A.P. 69.99 sec [25]
1959 David Boshier-Jones Cooper-J.A.P. 68.74 sec [26]
1960 Arthur Owen Cooper 72.41 sec [27] 13 Aug.
1961 John Pringle Cooper-Climax 2,495 c.c. 67.24 sec R [28] 19 Aug, dull but dry.
1962 John Pringle Cooper-Climax 65.97 sec R [29] 18 Aug.
1963 Peter Westbury Felday-Daimler s/c [30]
1964 Peter Westbury Ferguson P99 4-W-D 61.70 sec [31] 15 Aug.
1965 Peter Meldrum Lotus 20-Allard s/c 62.52 sec [32] 14 Aug.
1966 13 Aug.
1967 Bryan Eccles Brabham-Oldsmobile 12 Aug.
1968 Peter Lawson 57.98 sec 10 Aug.
1969 Martin Brain Cooper T86B-BRM 3-litre 60.78 sec [33] 9 Aug.
1970 Brian Nelson Crosslé F2-FVA R [34]
1971 Brian Nelson 15 Aug.
1972 Brian Nelson Crosslé 22F-Hart 55.72 sec R [35]
1973 Nelson Todd Crosslé 22F-Hart 57.50 sec [36]
1974 Tommy Reid Brabham BT38
1975 Patsy McGarrity Chevron
1976 Patsy McGarrity Chevron B29 (Formula Atlantic) 55.34 sec R [37]
1977 Alister Douglas-Osborn Pilbeam P2 DFV 51.64 sec R [38]
1978 Alister Douglas-Osborn Pilbeam MP31/002 3-litre 54.62 sec [39]
1979 3/4 Aug.
1980 Round 11 : Chris Cramer March 782 2.5-litre 51.03 sec R [40] 2 Aug.
1981 Round 11 : James Thomson Pilbeam MP40K 50.39 sec R [41] 2 Aug.
1986 Round 11 : Martyn Griffiths Pilbeam MP53/04-Hart 2.8-litre 50.14 sec [42] 2 Aug.
1988 Round 13 : Martyn Griffiths Pilbeam MP53 2.8-litre 49.65 sec R [43] 6 Aug.
1989 Round 12 : Ray Rowan Roman-Hart 2.8-litre 50.58 sec [44] 5 Aug.
2005 Round 25 : Willem Toet Pilbeam MP88 Judd 4.0-litre 40.36 sec FTD [45] 6 Aug.
Round 26 : Roger Moran Gould-NME GR61X 3.5-litre 41.14 sec
2008 Round 23 : Scott Moran Gould GR61 40.57 sec 2 Aug.
Round 24 : Scott Moran Gould GR61 39.63 sec R
2009 Round 25 : Scott Moran Gould-NME GR61X 3.5-litre 40.95 sec 1 Aug.
Round 26 : Trevor Willis OMS CF06 Powertec 2.8-litre 40.99 sec
2010 7 Aug.

Key: R = Course Record; FTD = Fastest Time of the Day.

References

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  1. ^ See
  2. ^ "21 points for Moran as Groves non-scores". Top 12 Run Off. 2 August 2008. Retrieved 18 September 2008. [dead link]
  3. ^ T.R. Nicholson, Sprint – Speed Hillclimbs and Speed Trials in Britain: 1899–1925, David & Charles, 1969, Page 252.
  4. ^ Motor Sport, September 1930, Page 17.
  5. ^ Motor Sport, September 1931, Page 521. For an interview with R.G.J. Nash see Motor Sport, December 1958, Pages 825–826.
  6. ^ The Observer, 17 July 1932, Page 9; Motor Sport, September 1932, Page 504.
  7. ^ The Irish Times, 28 August 1933; The Autocar, 1 September 1933, Pages 381, 384.
  8. ^ The Autocar, 6 September 1933, Page 477; Motor Sport, September 1936, Page 445.
  9. ^ Motor Sport, September 1936, Page 445.
  10. ^ Motor Sport, December 1937, Page 521.
  11. ^ The Autocar, 2 September 1938, Page 407.
  12. ^ The Autocar, 5 May 1939, Page 773.
  13. ^ Motor Sport, October 1946, Page 228; Motor Sport, June 1949, Page 211: Obituary.
  14. ^ Motor Sport, October 1947, Page 286.
  15. ^ Motor Sport, October 1948, Page 341.
  16. ^ Motor Sport, October 1949, Page 402.
  17. ^ Motor Sport, July 1950, Page 320.
  18. ^ Motor Sport, September 1951, Page 434.
  19. ^ Motor Sport, September 1952, Page 396.
  20. ^ The Autocar, 14 August 1953, Page 219; Motor Sport, January 1954, Page 7.
  21. ^ The Autocar, 20 August 1954, Page 271.
  22. ^ The Manchester Guardian, 8 August 1955, Page 2; Motor Sport, September 1955, Page 520.
  23. ^ The Motor Year Book 1957, Temple Press, Page 204; See also: Wharton Withdraws From Climb, The Manchester Guardian, 20 August 1956, Page 2.
  24. ^ Motor Sport, January 1958, Page 22.
  25. ^ Motor Sport, January 1959, Page 31.
  26. ^ Motor Sport, January 1960, Page 20.
  27. ^ The Autocar, 19 August 1960, Page 285. R. Fielding, Cooper-Climax, No. 79, was first in the R.A.C. Championship class in 79.61 sec.
  28. ^ Motor, 23 August 1961, Page 112; Motor Sport, January 1961, Page 32. R. Fielding, Emeryson 1,460 c.c., was first in the R.A.C. Championship class in 72.47 sec.
  29. ^ The Autocar, 24 August 1962, Page 323; Motor Sport, September 1962, Page 683.
  30. ^ Motor Sport, September 1963, Page 680.
  31. ^ Motor Sport, September 1964, Page 712.
  32. ^ Motor, 28 August 1965, Page 50; Motor Sport, September 1965, Page 745.
  33. ^ Motoring News, 14 August 1969, Page 20.
  34. ^ The Autocar, 13 August 1970, Page 21. David Hepworth, Hepworth FF 4wd 5-litre, was first in of the R.A.C. Championship class (Round 7).
  35. ^ Autosport, 17 August 1972, Pages 38–39.
  36. ^ Autosport, 23 August 1973, Pages 5.
  37. ^ Autosport, 19 August 1976, Page 57.
  38. ^ Autosport, 18 August 1977, Page 57.
  39. ^ Autosport, 10 August 1978, Page 47.
  40. ^ Autosport, 14 August 1980, Page 61.
  41. ^ Autosport, 6 August 1981, Page 57.
  42. ^ Autosport, 14 August 1986, Page 61.
  43. ^ Autosport, 18 August 1988, Page 59.
  44. ^ Autosport, 10 August 1989, Page 59.
  45. ^ Autosport, 11 August 2005, Page 101.
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