All is set for an epic duel at this Saturdays Bluff Promotions Bay View Hotel / Pub Charity Bluff "where the journey begins" Sealed Hillclimb.
One of the best ever fields assembled for the event will line up to attack the 1.8 kilometre climb and two former winners, Duncan McCrostie of Kaitangata and Glenn Frew of Outram, look set to battle it out in their Mitsubishi EVOs.
McCrostie has won the last two hilllcimbs here in Bluff and is looking for three in a row on Saturday. If he can do so he will also become the Southern Twin Peaks Challenge Champion for the third time as well. The title goes to the competitor who, when the fastest times from both Kaitangata and Bluff are added together, sets the fastest total elapsed time.
McCrostie, of Kaitangata, retained his Kaitangata Hillclimb title at his home event, the opening round of the Southern Twin Peaks Challenge last Saturday. However Frew was just .77 of a second behind and the Outram driver who won in Bluff in 2007 will be right on the pace again this Saturday.
While these two will go into the event as joint favourites, single seater driver Steve Heffernan of Invercargill in his Van Diemen RF92 Formula Ford plus Laird Motorsport Southern Rally Series Champion Dean Bond of Balclutha in his Mitsubishi EVO 6.5 and 2007 Laird Series Champion Andrew Graves of Gore in a Mitsubishi EVO 3 will be outright contenders as well. A dark horse could well be Ashburton driver Dave Wilson in his Toyota Celica GT4.
The class winners who set the fastest total elapsed times from their best runs at both Kaitangata and Bluff will also win class titles in the Southern Twin Peaks Challenge. The classes were exceptionally hard fought at Kaitangata and after the opening round there Mosgiel driver Chris Hey leads Class C for 2-wheel-drive vehicles of 1601cc & over in his impressive turbocharged Toyota MR2. Warner Reid of Balclutha in another turbocharged MR2 is in second place.
In Class B for 2-wheel-drive cars from 1301-1600cc Paul Goatley leads in his Ford Escort from Hadley MacKay of Arrowtown in a Citroen Saxo and Phill Terry of Wrights Bush in a Toyota Trueno. Invercargill's David Robertson leads the Class A title fight for cars of 0-1300cc in his Suzuki powered Hillman Imp. Robertson took the class at Kaitangata ahead of father and son Roger and Kevin Laird who shared the same Suzuki Swift throughout the day.
After failing to start at Kaitangata Mark Quertier hopes to have his impressive Chev V8 Special on the startline at Bluff.
Close to fifty entries have been received at present and the first runs are expected to get underway at 11am on Saturday. Each competitor receives four runs to achieve their best time.
Tree felling in the area has opened up the hill to provide superb viewing this year and the new corner at the bottom of the hill was a real drawcard last year.
The event utilises the sealed road to the summit of Bluff Hill (Motu Pohue). The road climbs to a height of 264 metres above sea level. The event is a joint project between Bluff Promotions, the Eastern Southland Car Club and the Southland Sports Car Club.
BAY VIEW HOTEL / PUB CHARITY BLUFF "where the journey begins" SEALED HILLCLIMB
1.6km course
2006 - Ross MacKay (Ashburton) Mitsubishi EVO - 1 minute 03.403 seconds
2007 - Glenn Frew (Outram) Mitsubishi EVO - 59.895 seconds
2008 - Duncan McCrostie (Kaitangata) Mitsubishi EVO - 59.188 seconds
1.8km course
2009 - Duncan McCrostie (Kaitangata) Mitsubishi EVO - 1 minute .00.733 seconds
SOUTHERN TWIN PEAKS CHALLENGE
2007/2008 - Duncan McCrostie
2008/2009 - Duncan McCrostie
