Australia’s toughest Hill Climb. That’s what the sign says as you enter the pits of the three-day festival of grass roots motor sport where 120 varied race prepared cars tackle the twisty 1.5km in the Tewantin National Park.
With 14 corners “The Hill” is highly addictive with some drivers returning to the challenge many times during the last 28 years, the event has been run by the Noosa Beach Classic Car Club and has recently returned to the Motorsport Australia umbrella after a brief absence.
The event is run twice a year, Winter and Summer with practice runs from noon on Friday and then an early start on the Saturday and Sunday of competition.
Times drop on the Sunday afternoon as the open wheelers chase the hill record, currently held by Michael Von Rappard in a Dallara Hayabusa powered special, these specialised hill climb cars are kept honest by a brace of recognisable road cars including WRX, Porsche not to forget the all-wheel drive Audi.
As a now regular competitor, Blaise Paris said, “I had heard about the event in Motorsport circles in WA. I didn’t waste any time getting involved and had my first run up the hill two months after arriving in June 2019 in my Porsche 964 3.8 RSR replica. What a cracking stretch of tarmac and a well-run event supported by a great bunch of grassroots Motorsport enthusiasts.”
Not all drivers are in charge of expensive machinery with many Hyundai, Peugeot, Ford, Nissan and Toyota models seen in the pits.
Special guests in the past have included Vern Schuppan, Kevin Bartlett, Dick Johnson, Glen Seaton, Brock Feeney and Fabian Coultard.
Spectators are well catered for with food stalls in the pits with open access to drivers and their cars, a bus regularly takes passengers up the track allowing a ‘relaxed” walk back down stopping at the various grandstands positioned on tight corners for a close up view of the cars in full flight.
Entry for spectators this weekend (8am-4pm) is through Gyndier Drive gate. Pay at the entry, $20 or a weekend pass for $30, children U 14 free.
Winter Hill for spectators is 14-15 June with the summer event returning to its traditional dates of 14-16 November.
