Camel Vale Motor Club will support Watergate Bay Motorsport in 2022, helping to organise the popular Watergate Bay Sprint planned for 17 & 18 September.

The Bodmin based club will join forces with Truro & District Motor Club, Newquay Auto Club and Plymouth Motor Club who have organised the event since its inception in 2018, pooling their wealth of experience and knowledge together to take the spectacular Sprint into its second year after originally starting life as a Hillclimb.

Camel Vale Motor Club was formed in 1956 and continues to thrive based around Bodmin, Cornwall. It hosts British championship and South West (ASWMC) championship rounds as well as club level events. The club currently runs a series of Navigational Scatters, Autotest, Autosolo, Classic Trial, Sporting Trial’s along with its two major Hillclimb events during the summer.

Find out more here: https://camelvalemotorclub.co.uk/

The spectacular Watergate Sprint is set to provide drivers and fans with an exciting weekend of motorsport action [18-19 September], as the unique high-octane event will see over 100 cars and drivers tackling a stretch of the B3276 coast road between Newquay and Watergate Bay against the clock.

First run in 2018, the event was a ground-breaking feature of the motorsport calendar as it became the first speed hillclimb in the UK to take advantage of the passing of a Parliament law which allows public roads to be closed for timed motorsport events.

After a year’s sabbatical due to the pandemic, it returns in 2021 bigger and better than ever but in the format of a sprint, with an all-new 820 metre course set to challenge the drivers.

The three promoting motor clubs, Truro and District Motor Club, Plymouth Motor Club and Newquay Auto Club have joined forces to organise the weekend’s activities which will see local charities benefit from the weekend, as profits will be donated to the Cornwall Air Ambulance and Watergate Bay Surf Lifesaving Club.

The motorsport festival has once again attracted a capacity entry of 110 drivers and cars with a wide range of competition examples from across the UK heading to the North Cornwall coast during the weekend. Divided into 12 classes, cars competing in this years event range from totally standard road going examples to highly modified racers and rally cars.

Spectators will be well catered for during the weekend with excellent viewing from the dedicated area, displays and activities and access to the paddock, enabling fans and families to get up close and personal to the drivers and cars.

Advanced tickets are priced at £9 per day or £17 for the weekend for adults, with those under 14 going free (available until midnight 16 September). Prices on the gate are £10 per day.

The action will start from 9.30am on each day and the spectator car park must be accessed by travelling along the B3276 from Watergate Bay towards Newquay. Car parking is available at a discounted rate of just £2 per day.

More information:
Road closure times are 06:00 to 18:00 on the 18^th and 19^th September. Click HERE for a Diversion Map.

More information for spectators can be found here: 
https://www.watergatebaymotorsport.co.uk/spectators/

You can catch up with all the latest news from the event on its social media feeds

http://www.twitter.com/watergatehill
http://www.facebook.com/watergatebayhillclimb/

A high-speed weekend of motorsport action is set to take place near Watergate Bay this September (18-19) and spectators will be invited to watch the action as organisers release ticket details of this year’s Watergate Sprint.

The exciting closed-road motorsport weekend will take place as a brand-new event, having previously run as a Hillclimb based in the popular Watergate Bay resort. Due to possible building works due to take place in September, the unique event will switch to a sprint format, with the course covering 820 metres of the B3276 coast road between Newquay and Padstow, starting near Trevelgue.

And fans will be able to watch the action after the three promoting motor clubs, Truro and District Motor Club, Plymouth Motor Club and Newquay Auto Club announced details of tickets which are now on sale, offering motorsport enthusiasts the opportunity to witness a thrilling weekend of high-speed action on the North Cornwall coast.

After opening its doors in July, the event received an over-subscribed list of competitors, and 110 cars and drivers will tackle both the Saturday and Sunday events. A dynamic mix of racing cars and modified performance cars will compete during the weekend, with each one attempting to take class honours and the coveted fastest time of the day.

The all-new course will start on the Newquay side of the B3276 coast road at Trevelgue and cars will tackle the road towards Watergate Bay, with a fast and flowing section mixed with a technical element that includes a tight ‘90-left’ turn before the finish.

The paddock, trade and display area and spectator area will all be located together, offering a superb viewpoint of the course and easy access to the drivers and cars throughout the day. Advanced tickets are priced at £9 per day or £17 for the weekend for adults, with those under 14 going free (available until midnight 16 September). Prices on the gate are £10 per day.

Access to the venue is to be approached via Watergate Bay due to the road closure on the Newquay side with car parking available at a discounted rate of just £2 per day.

Watergate Sprint will also continue to donate profits to local charities, Cornwall Air Ambulance and Watergate Bay Surf Lifesaving Club.

To purchase advanced tickets, see timings and view the entry list, click: HERE

-Ends

Organisers of the Watergate Bay Speed Hill Climb have taken the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 running of the popular Cornish motorsport weekend, which was due to take place on the 19^th and 20^th September.

The organising committee, made up from members of the three promoting motor clubs, Newquay Auto Club, Plymouth Motor Club and Truro and District Motor Club have been considering the implications of hosting the event in September this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

After careful consideration, organisers have elected to cancel the 2020 edition of the closed-road speed event held on the B3276 coast road between Padstow and Newquay, meaning the third running of the hillclimb will take place in September 2021.

Watergate Bay Speed Hillclimb is a ground-breaking motorsport event, held on the north Cornish coast and became the first hillclimb in the country to take advantage of a new legislation allowing public roads to be closed for motorsport. Attracting a bumper entry of over 100 drivers during the past two years, the event has drawn significant interest from motoring fans and competitors across the UK, bringing many enthusiasts to the region as the traditional tourist season ends in the county.

After raising over £6,000 for local charities Cornwall Air Ambulance and Cornwall Food Foundation in the inaugural year, the event continued to donate its profits in 2019 and was able to donate a further £5,000 towards the New Heli Appeal as it became the headline event in “Cornwall Motorsport Month” which ran throughout September last year.

However, on 17th March Motorsport UK suspended all motorsport activity due to the potential increased risk to competitors, officials, spectators, and communities which was later extended until the end of June as the country entered the lockdown phase of Covid-19.

Despite being in the advanced stages of planning for the 2020 running of the event, organisers have cited the “uncertainties” of the Covid situation going forward and with no guarantees of the sport, hospitality or social distancing guidelines being available in September, organisers had no choice but to cancel the event.

Event Director Roger Hargreaves said “After spending many hours deliberating over this year’s Watergate Bay Hillclimb, the organising committee have concluded that we must cancel September’s event due to the continued uncertainties of Coronavirus.

It has become impractical and financially uncertain to continue the planning for September and with the current conditions on social distancing and possible Government restrictions on large events for the foreseeable future, it is just not possible to host a safe event for all those involved. Our main obligation and priority is to protect the health and safety of our competitors, volunteers, traders, exhibitors and spectators which means that this is the safest and only decision we could make.

We know this decision will disappoint competitors and enthusiasts across the country not just Cornwall and we are equally disappointed that we will miss an opportunity to support the Cornwall Air Ambulance charity.

To continue our support to the valuable cause, we will be creating a “JustGiving” page and would hope that everyone who has an interest in the hill climb will make a small contribution towards the charity.”

Anyone who wishes to donate to Cornwall Air Ambulance as a supporter of the hillclimb can visit:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/watergate-bay-speed-hillclimb1

-Ends

The second running of the Watergate Bay Speed Hillclimb near Newquay in Cornwall was hailed as the “best yet” by fans, competitors and organisers as over 90 cars blasted up the B3276 coast road last weekend (14^th/15^th September) for the now annual closed-road motorsport event.

The event, jointly organised by Newquay Auto Club, Plymouth Motor Club and Truro and District Motor Club was the first Hillclimb in the UK  to take place on a closed public road back in 2018 after the passing of a law in Parliament enabled the suspension of the Road Traffic Act for motorsport.

It returned once again last weekend, bigger and better than ever with an increase in the course length to 850 meters providing an additional challenge for the competitors.

Drivers from across the UK flocked to the region in a wide variety of machines which included almost standard road cars, to fully modified racers, all eager to sample the unique venue which is nestled on the North Cornish Coast between Padstow and Newquay.

Coupled with stunning weather in the county, spectators headed to the motorsport extravaganza in their droves, with initial estimates showing an attendance increase of almost 1,000 on last year’s figures.

The arrival of the longer course would mean the challenge would be set for drivers to secure the coveted “Fastest Time of the Day” on the extended Hillclimb. Last year, the record was taken by Tavistock’s Doug Bennett in his powerful Sylva Striker kit-car, with a time of 24.74 seconds during his first timed run of Saturday afternoon, whilst fastest on Sunday went to Chard-based Stewart Lillington and his Radical SR4 kit-car.

This time around however it would be Dorchester based Rodney Thorne who thundered his powerful five-litre Pilbeam MP43 to the fastest time on both days, with a time of 31.27sec on Saturday and going slightly better on Sunday with a 30.63sec, ensuring he will be the man to beat for next year’s event.

Watergate Bay Speed Hillclimb had a wide variety of cars  – click to download high res version – 
Image credit: Livelight Photography

The day wasn’t without its drama, however, as the action was hotting up at one of the courses chicanes which claimed Subaru Impreza pilot Jason MacDonald who rolled his rapid class C3 machine. It would also see the demise of Hillclimb racer Shelley Deacon in her Audi TT who rode the bank on the exit, ending her day on the spot. Both drivers were unhurt.

Local charities were also able to benefit from the weekend, with all profits being donated to the Cornwall Air Ambulance and Cornwall Food Foundation, which includes Jamie Oliver’s apprentice training scheme at the nearby Fifteen restaurant.

Crowds flocked to the event for its second running after a bumper month of motorsport in the region. Watergate Bay Speed Hillclimb was the flagship event for Cornwall Motorsport Month, a joint initiative from Visit Cornwall and Motorsport UK, the governing body of the sport in the country, to highlight the county for its diverse range of activities outside of its usual tourism and surfing tag.

After a public scrutineering a technical session on Friday night, crowds were able to visit the Watergate Bay car park for a screening of the movie Rush at a drive-in cinema, ahead of the weekend’s event. The Hillclimb’s place in the calendar had also attracted the attention of a documentary maker, who was filming at the event for a programme to be aired on ITV in the near future.

Organisers estimate that over 2000 people per day passed through the spectator entrance to enjoy the action, as well as getting up close to the drivers and cars in the dedicated paddock area at the top of the hill.  Spectators were also able to chat with the drivers in the bottom paddock in the nearby Watergate Bay Hotel car park in the heart of Watergate Bay.

“Last year was all about getting the Hillclimb off the ground and as the first event in the UK to do so, we had many hurdles to overcome but managed to run a very successful event for our first attempt” says Deputy Event Director Dave Brenton.

Crowds flocked to the event to give   – click to download high res version – 
Image credit: 569 Motorsport Media

“We knew what we needed to do to create a bigger and better event this time around and I`m delighted to say that this year has been the best yet. Each spectator and driver that I’ve spoken to says it’s the best event they have done for a long time which truly makes all the hard work that the team put in worthwhile”.

After many years of planning, the Hillclimb has been the brainchild of Brenton who, along with a dedicated organising committee ensured the event got off the ground in 2018.

Hailed as a ground-breaking event back then, the team have been working on plans for the future.

“I`m pleased to announce that the Watergate Bay Speed Hillclimb will return to the motorsport calendar on the 19th and 20th September 2020 and not only that but subject to the authorisation from Motorsport UK, we will be looking to extend the course further still from our current layout, meaning the hill could well be approaching 1000 metres next year” he says.
 

For full results from the weekend – www.watergatebayhillclimb.co.uk
 

More information on Cornwall Motorsport Month can be found at www.cornwallmotorsportmonth.comYou can catch up with all the latest news from the event on its social media feedshttp://www.twitter.com/watergatehill
http://www.facebook.com/watergatebayhillclimb/
-ENDS

 – click to download high res version –  Image credit – 569 Motorsport MediaFor more information regarding this media release, please contact Matt Cotton, Press Officer at MCR Motorsport Media, E-mail: matt@mcrmotorsportmedia.com

Watergate Bay Speed Hillclimb will return for the second time this weekend (14/15 September), as the exciting motorsport event will see around 100 cars and drivers tackling a stretch of the B3276 coast road between Padstow and Newquay against the clock.

The event was a ground-breaking feature in the motorsport calendar in 2018 as it became the first speed hillclimb in the UK to take advantage of the passing of a Parliament law which allows public roads to be closed for timed motorsport events. It returns once again this year, bigger and better than ever, with a longer course set to challenge the drivers.

The motorsport extravaganza has once again attracted a capacity entry with a huge range of cars from across the UK heading to the North Cornwall coast to tackle the hill, which now sits at 850-metres long. Each will be either aiming to secure the new hill record or take the hotly contested class honours.

From an idea in 2013 by Truro Motor Club Competition Secretary and now Deputy Event Director of Watergate Bay Hillclimb Dave Brenton, the concept has grown significantly in strength and has once again gained support from a wealth of local businesses. Local charities benefit from the weekend, with all profits being donated to the Cornwall Air Ambulance and Cornwall Food Foundation.

Keen to sample the much talked about event, organisers have been inundated with entries for the weekend which boasts a fantastic mix of competitors all eager to sample the new layout. There will be a wide range of cars competing throughout the weekend, divided into 12 classes, ranging from totally standard road going examples to highly modified racers and rally cars.

Both of last year FTD (fastest time of the day) competitors will return, aiming to stamp their names on the winners trophies. Eyes will be on Tavistock’s Douglas Bennett in his rapid Raw Striker whilst, Chard based Stewart Lillington also returns in his Radical.

Spectators will be well catered for during the weekend with trade displays, car clubs and access to the paddock to get up close and personal to the drivers and cars. Viewing opportunities for fans have also been improved along the hill, offering some great views of the cars in action.

The Hillclimb will start from 9am on each day, entry to the event will cost £10 per adult. The spectator car park can be accessed by travelling along the B3276 from Newquay towards Watergate Bay.

Deputy Event Director Dave Brenton is looking forward to the second running of the event.

“Although it’s the second running of the Hillclimb, it’s still been almost a year in the planning to get it this far, so we are of course delighted to receive another top-quality entry.” he said.

The Hillclimb is the main event in Cornwall Motorsport Month which houses events such as off-road, Kart meetings, Autotests, Talks and Motorcycle Trials. The initiative, backed by Ginsters, officially launched at Cornwall Motorfest in Crantock.

“The organisers are very proud that the hillclimb is the flagship event in Cornwall Motorsport Month. Cornwall is a fantastic place for motorsport as well as surfing and holidays” he continues. “It helps to bring motorsport to the people that may not usually get to enjoy the sport in the county. We look forward to seeing all motorsport fans next weekend.”

More information:
Road closure times are 6am to 6pm on the 14^th and 15^th September, maps can be found here:
https://bit.ly/2k8g8nl
 
Spectator information can be found here:
https://bit.ly/2m4jXum
 
Full list of entries can be found here:
https://bit.ly/2lDbUV2
 
The event website can be found:
www.watergatebayhillclimb.co.uk
 
Watergate Bay Speed Hillclimb is sponsored by:
Watergate Bay Hotel, Cowling Plant Hire, Celtic Tuning, Mid Cornwall Self Storage, Penmellyn Vets, The Colourworx, Rallyprep, Hatton Energy Motorsport, Toniq, Brady Construction and WAX.

More information on the event can be found at www.watergatebayhillclimb.co.uk

More information on Cornwall Motorsport Month can be found at www.cornwallmotorsportmonth.comYou can catch up with all the latest news from the event on its social media feeds:http://www.twitter.com/watergatehill
http://www.facebook.com/watergatebayhillclimb/