Defending champion Duncan McCrostie of Kaitangata retained his title when he won the Kaitangata Promotions Bob Scott Memorial Hillclimb at Whites Road, City Forests in Kaitangata on Saturday.
McCrostie consistently set the fastest times throughout the day, his best coming in the penultimate run when he set a new record for the hill with a time of 51.72 seconds for the 1.2 kilometre gravel hillclimb. Although he could not improve on his final run his earlier time was good enough to ensure him of his second consecutive Kaitangata Hillclimb title.
McCrostie was very pleased with his second victory at his home event. Of his best time he said, "that one came from nowhere. I pushed too hard on the last run and it got messy and ugly. I got on the grass a few times."
It was McCrosties first gravel event since his win at Kaitangata in October 2008. "Last time we were here the car was thrown together and it wasn't tuned right. For this event we have fixed the rear diff and that has tidied the handling." The car was certainly effective as McCrostie charged up the hill to beat his own record
Outram driver Glenn Frew was runner-up in the event, the same position he filled last time the hillclimb was held. Frew's best time came on his last run with a 52.49.
Laird Motorsport Southern Rally Series Champion Dean Bond of Balclutha was third in 53.12 while Andrew Graves and Derek Ayson tied for fourth place on 54.59. Ayson of Clinton was at the wheel of a relatively standard car owned by fellow competitor, Steve Morris. Graves of Gore struck problems in his final run as he tried to wrest back the title he took in 2007.
McCrostie held sway at the top of the timesheets throughout the day but behind him Bond, Frew, Graves and Ayson had a great battle.
Mike Wellington and Craig Molloy of Dunedin, Paul Beattie from Cromwell, Brian Scott of Dunedin, a son of Bob Scott who the hillclimb pays tribute to, and Phil Winter also of Dunedin completed the top ten. Winter's tenth placing blocked a total domination of the top ten by Mitsubishi EVOs.
Arthur Jelley of Waipahi put in an impressive performance in his first competitive outing in 35 years. The last time he competed was in a V6 Ford Anglia, a far cry from the Mitsubishi EVO he drove on Saturday. It was his first competition drive in a 4-wheel-drive but he took the car up the hill in an impressive 59.59 seconds on his last run.
The class battles produced some epic duels.
McCrostie, Frew and Bond took the podium positions in Class D for 4-wheel-drive vehicles by virtue of their overall times.
Mosgiel driver Chris Hey won Class C for 2-wheel-drive vehicles of 1601cc & over with a time of 56.81 in his impressive turbocharged Toyota MR2, good enough for 12th overall. Behind him there was a classic battle between Neville Kidd of Cromwell in a Ford Escort, Warner Reid of Balclutha in another turbocharged MR2 and Murray Marshall of Kaitangata in his Nissan Bluebird Turbo. Going into the final run Kidd was second with Reid third but the final 1.2 kilometre climb featured a huge shake up in the order. Reid dipped under the minute mark to record a 59.34, good enough for second. Former Otago driver Matt Hayward, now based in Tauranga, also went under the minute elevating his EVO powered Mitsubishi Celeste into third with a time of 59.54 while Kidd also went under 60 seconds but his time of 59.93 could only secure fourth place ahead of Marshall.
Paul Goatley of Balclutha won Class B for 2-wheel-drive cars from 1301-1600cc in a time of 59.64 seconds. Goatley set the Class B record for the hill when he broke the 1 minute barrier on his third run, lowering the time still further on the last climb. Meanwhile behind him Hadley MacKay of Arrowtown in a Citroen Saxo and Phill Terry of Wrights Bush in a Toyota Trueno had a great tussle with MacKay breaking the 1 minute mark on his final attempt to take second with Terry third.
Invercargill's David Robertson took the Class A title for cars of 0-1300cc in his Suzuki powered Hillman Imp. Robertson and Kevin Laird of Gore had exchanged fastest times all day long but Robertson produced a very quick time of 62.45 seconds on his final run. Laird was then relegated to third when his father Roger Laird dropped his previous best time by almost 3 seconds on the final run in the car he shared with Kevin and his wife Karen.
Dunedin driver, Robert Scott, another of Bob Scott's sons, won the Sports Car Class in his CAE Special in a time of 63.14 seconds ahead of his brother Gregory in the Scott Special.
All three of Scott's sons not only competed in the event but also supported it through their respective businesses.
The event was the opening round of the two-round Southern Twin Peaks Challenge Series that concludes with the Bluff Promotions Bay View Hotel/Pub Charity Bluff "where the journey begins"
Sealed Hillclimb next Saturday. McCrostie has won the Twin Peaks title in the first two years it has been held and has also won the last two events at Bluff.
The Kaitangata event is held at the scene of several Gold Star national hilllcimbs in the 1960s and 70s. The hillclimb pays tribute to the late Bob Scott, a former Mayor Of Kaitangata and a successful motorsport competitor and businessman. Those who competed against Scott remember him fondly. Amongst his motorsport achievements were three South Island Grass Track titles and the Kaitangata Hillclimb title in 1967. He also owned Scott's Garage in the town during the 1960's and 70's.
The Kaitangata Promotions Bob Scott Memorial Hillclimb is a joint promotion between the Kaitangata Promotions Group and the Eastern Southland Car Club.
