ENGINES will roar over the bank holiday weekend, as tomorrow will kick off a four day motorsport extravaganza of high-octane hillclimb action.
Tomorrow will see competitors speed up the Mont Pinel hillclimb, before Greve De Lecq’s event is set to take place over Saturday and Sunday, with both of those organised by the Classic Vintage & Modern Racing Club of Jersey (CVMRC).
To cap off the grand weekend, speedsters are set to return to Bouley Bay on Monday, giving it one last blast to set a blazing time in what will be 2025’s last hillclimb, hosted this time by the Jersey Motorcycle & Light Car Club (JMC&LCC).
There will be plenty to look out for, as this highly-anticipated four day blockbuster looks all set to deliver something for everyone.
“The next four days are sort of the last hurrah for our season, we are all really look forward to it and the weather’s looking good, so it’s going to be very competitive,” said Alex Salmon, Vice President of the CVMRC and hillclimb competitor.
“Over the weekend, at Greve De Lecq, look out for a really nice variety of classic and modern cars, all sorts from the mid-to-late 50s, all the way to modern day road cars and lots of racing specials in between. A highlight this weekend will be Jim Herbert’s team rapid Mitsubushi Evo, which is one of the country’s fastest cars, and there will be plenty of single seater cars on Monday.
“On Monday, there will be a lot of people going for outright records on the hill for their classes. I know the supermotos will be competitive, as well as the single seater class, with a lot of big cars out for that as well.
“Really, it’s the variety over the weekend, as there’s something different to see on the hill every time, making every run exciting to watch.”
The fact that both the Mont Pinel and Greve De Lecq hillclimbs only run once a year just adds that bit more to the anticipation.
Mont Pinel will commence proceedings, as drivers and riders will push their vehicles to the limit, in pursuit of speed. Entries look promising, with 45 competitors ready to tackle the major hillclimb.
Included in the CVMRC event portfolio since 2018, competitors will tackle the course, consisting of a very long straight off the line to the tight hairpin, which then sees the hill snake right and left to bring you up to the finishing straight.
“Mont Pinel is always a fun one, the course is quite twisty and very quick, and it can get a bit narrow as well, so you really have to thread the needle and be careful on the final corner,” Salmon added.
Then, Greve De Lecq will be overcome with speed, as Saturday and Sunday will see “75 to 80” entries showcase their ability on the hill.
“With this one, as a competitor it’s all about easing yourself into it, as Greve De Lecq is probably Jersey’s quickest hillclimb, so the amount of time you’re at full throttle is quite high,” Salmon continued.
“It starts just outside of Moulin De Lecq, goes on that side, and you’ve got the really fast and osculating tunnel. You actually end up compressing the suspension through one of the dips, which always gets the cars a bit sideways and loose.
“As you come out of the trees, it’s almost like the Monaco tunnel, as you have to readjust your eyes for the sunlight. Then we’re through the knife edge, between two granite walls, and a flat round to the corner, where some cars will be reaching over 100mph into there, so it’s really good fun. Your knees are shaking afterwards, it really gets the adrenaline running.”
A can’t-miss spectacle at Bouley Bay will round out the weekend, as well as wrap up the season, with competitors returning after 15 July’s instalment, which saw Jersey’s illustrious hillclimb play host to a round of the British Hillclimb Championship.
Among the competitors, Michael Salmon will make his return, after starring in July’s event to become “Jersey’s first ever double point scorer” at the National hillclimb level.
One thing Jersey isn’t short on for sure is local motorsport talent, as this year has seen many achievements and solid showings, with Salmon saying: “Jersey has loads of local talent, obviously Sam’s (Touzel) rally championship win was an incredible achievement, and he made his start on hill climbs, first the bike and then a car, but in regards to talent Sam really isn’t alone as we have so much here, which is really exciting to see.
“We can definitely see young talent coming through, as we get a lot of competitors who buy a cheap Mazda MX5 on Marketplace, let’s say for about £500-£600, and they’ll then come out to learn their craft. We’ve seen it with Ollie Le Bailly in the rally cars, who did well at L’Etacq, after starting with an MX5 and progressing to a Mark two Escort.
“There’s a lot of talent which is coming up the ranks, and it’s great to see.”
For this small Island to produce such talent, it really is a testament to the local motorsport community, which Salmon went on to describe: “Locally, we have a really supportive community, with quite a vast range in skill level.
“There’s a lot of people that are happy to help and advise those who need it, and it’s always about beating your own time.
“It’s never about focusing on other people, you always come in, see what you can do to chip away at your time, and everyone sort of helps you do that. That’s always fantastic to see, and it’s a nice community.”
After what has been “a great season”, Salmon says next year promises to return bigger and better, with plans to get more competition over from “Guernsey and the UK”.
“Getting competition over is always exciting, because you get to fight against those who are, maybe, a level above what we can do here at the moment,” Salmon said.
“Bouley Bay is going to be very exciting as it progresses, with more competitors coming into the fold, and, of course, the Jersey International Motoring Festival is going to be massive, so there’s a lot to look forward to.”
Events:
Friday 22 August: Mont Pinel Hillclimb, set to start at 10am
Saturday 23 – Sunday 24 August: Greve De Lecq Hillclimb, beginning at 9.30am on both days.
Monday 25 August: Bouley Bay Hillclimb, set to commence at 10am.
