Circuit Description
Shelsley Walsh 2 Day Event
Practise Saturday 21st
Event Sunday 22nd
A Brief History Of The Midland Automobile Club and Shelsley
Walsh, by Bob Cooper
The Midland Automobile Club was founded in Birmingham on 11th
January 1901. The Club's first sporting event was a hill climb on
Gorcott Hill (nr. Alcester), held in early October 1901. In July
1903, the Club took on the toughest challenge in the country, the
1000 yard gradient of Sun Rising Hill, between Stratford Upon Avon
and Banbury. Problems with a local landowner caused the Club to
look for suitable sites on private land. The first such event was
held at Middle Hill House, Broadway. At much the same time, the
Club was offered the use of a steep and winding bridle path in the
grounds of the Court House Farm, Shelsley Walsh. Club Officials
quickly recognised its potential and after considerable clearing of
trees and undergrowth, easing gradients and resurfacing, the track
we know today was ready for its first ever hill climb. Held on
Saturday, 12th August 1905, the Club and the landowner entertained
a large crowd of spectators and competitors with considerable
hospitality and much interesting motor sport.
Shelsley Supreme
After WWI, operations started at Sunday in 1920. 1922 was also the
year in which Shelsley Walsh was acknowledged as the premier hill
climb in the country when the R.A.C. refused to continue licensing
any more events on public roads.
1930 was of immense importance to the M.A.C., for Shelsley Walsh
had been included in the European Hill Climb Championship for the
first time and the July Meeting attracted two great continental
drivers, Rudolf Caracciola in the 7 litre Mercedes Benz Sports and
the 1930 Champion-elect, Hans Stuck in his 3.5 litre
Austro-Daimler.
Saturday, 6th June, 1936 was a never to be forgotten day in
Shelsley history, with Hans Stuck fulfilling a promise to the Club
to return to Shelsley. This time he brought with him one of the
fabulous 'Silver Arrows', a special 5.3 litre hill climb version of
the V-16 Grand Prix Auto
Progress And Anniversaries
The war years saw Shelsley revert to its natural state and on their
first visit in June 1945, the Committee was presented with a major
problem. It took almost exactly a year for the necessary labour,
money and materials to become available and to clear the hill,
re-surface the track and prepare everything for competition. On
Saturday, 1st June, 1946, the M.A.C. put up £50 and a Challenge
Trophy.
In 1947, the National Hill Climb Championship was introduced by
the R.A.C., including five venues, Bo'ness, Craigantlet, Bouley
Bay, Prescott and - of course - Shelsley Walsh.
The Sixties
The move away from twin-cylinder cars started in 1960 when Arthur
Owen took second place at Shelsley driving a rear-engined F1
Cooper-Climax, followed by Tony Marsh, first driving a
F1-Lotus-Climax and then a borrowed 'works' 2.5 litre
Inter-continental Formula B.R.M. running on nitro-methane.
The Present
At the present time, M.A.C. Members are planning a number of
special activities for 2001 & 2002, when the M.A.C. celebrates
its hundredth anniversary. Shelsley and special events are no
strangers and many people still talk of huge crowds celebrating the
50th Anniversary of the Vintage Sports car Club and E.R.A. in 1984,
when the hill once again echoed to the unique 'howl' of the V-16
B.R.M. Two years Audi celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Stuck's
appearance in the V-16 Auto Union with demonstration runs from the
1939 V12 G.P. Auto Union and the Championship winning Audi Quattro
S1 driven by World Rally Champion Hannu Mikkola. 1997 was the 50th
Anniversary year of the British Hill Climb Championship, celebrated
at Shelsley in the presence of no less than eighteen Champions.
The Future
Over the years, the Midland Automobile Club has grown from the
original fifty or so Midland "Automobilists" to its present level
of some twelve hundred and fifty members from all over the country.
Just as in the early days, the Club Membership included owners,
drivers, designers and manufacturers, today's list of names
includes hundreds of active motor sport enthusiasts, including
members who are directly involved in the design and construction of
F1 cars (as well as being regular competitors at Shelsley) and the
two leading designers and constructors of the Hill Climb
Championship-winning cars that have dominated Hill Climbing for the
past twenty or more years.
* Content provided by MAC & Shelsley Hillclimb web site
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