Gurston Down celebrates 50 years of hillclimbing success. It’s narrow. It’s twisty. It’s fast!
It’s where it all began in 1967, the innovation, the planning and ultimately the winning. Gurston Down celebrates 50 years of hillclimbing success. It’s narrow. It’s twisty. And it’s fast! In a nutshell, that’s the challenge of speed hillclimbing, one of motorsport’s most accessible and friendly categories.
This golden jubilee year the celebrations are on at Gurston Down and Turbo Dynamics. TD’s Managing Director and founder of the company Peter Marsh along with his brother Simon Marsh are restoring the award-winning vehicle that won in ’67 and several other events when driven by their late father Tony Marsh.
Tony Marsh was a highly coveted racing driver and was recognised by the Independent’s journalist, Phil Davidson, as being “one of the best all-round motor racing drivers”. Marsh won the British Hill Climb Championship a record six times, competed in a handful of Formula 1 Grand Prix events and also co-designed the famous Gurston Hill Climb Race Course.
BARC South West Centre is celebrating 50 years of speed hillclimbing at Gurston Down, the Hitchings family farm at Broad Chalke, near Salisbury, over the Tony Marsh Memorial Weekend on June 17-18. Six-time British champion Marsh set an undefeated record at July 1967’s inaugural event and it is hoped that sons Peter and Simon will demo their beloved 4WD Marsh Special. July 22-23’s meeting, meanwhile, features the seasons Hillclimb FF Fest competition for pre-’94 Kent-engined FF1600s.
Watch Peter Marsh take on Gurston Down Speed Hillclimb in April 2016 and see for yourself how fast it goes! Watch below:
Restoring A Legendary Vehicle
The racing duo of Peter and Simon Marsh, who are the sons of the six times British Hill Climb Champion Tony Marsh, have both previously enjoyed success at the course which holds great sentimental value for them. Their late father co-designed the course in 1967 and went on to win the first-ever meet to take place there.
2017 is all about taking that winning car and restoring it to perfection and giving it a 2017 lift.
The vehicle is currently in pieces. Here’s a sneak peek at one of the first stages of disassembly.
What is Speed Hillclimbing?
If you like loud exhausts, big engines and fast cars then you’re in for a treat! Unlike F1 and other racing events where you’re quite far away, at Gurston Down you’re close to the action and you can see some impressive technology and innovation in these vehicles.
How Can I Get Tickets?
Fancy seeing the action for yourself? Why not! It’s such a great opportunity to see up close vehicles reaching up to 150mph. With sports such as F1 or other racing events you’re usually in stands far away from the action. But with Hill Climbing the action takes place right in front of you! For more on tickets and events for Gurston Down click here to visit their website.
You Can Hill Climb Too
That’s right! If you’ve spectated and wondered what it’s like to take part, did you know that you can actually start hillclimbing in a road car? And there are four opportunities each year to start in the best possible way – with a day at the Gurston Down Hillclimb Drivers School. Our very own founder & Managing Director Peter Marsh is an instructor at the Hill Climb school based on site. Find out more on the driving school here.