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  • 25/05/13
  • 5°C to 17°C Sunny
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Leeds: Vintage cars out in force to mark Harewood Hill climb’s 50th

Vintage race cars roared through the roads surrounding one of Yorkshire’s most iconic estates to mark the 50-year anniversary of the Harewood Hill Climb.

The race, which is run as a time trial where drivers compete to get up the hill in the fastest time, was first held in September 1962 .

Back then, a modest collection of around 70 cars took part.

But the event has now grown to become one of the best-loved in the sport.

Over the weekend, 200 historic and classic cars powered up the steep route near Harewood House in the golden jubilee event organised by the British Automobile Racing Club Yorkshire Centre.

Among the vehicles on show was the Ferguson P99, once driven by Sir Stirling Moss in Formula 1 and also driven by Peter Westbury to the 1964 hillclimb title.

Mr Westbury, who lives in Tobago, returned to England to drive the vehicle at Harewood for the event.

The course, which is a stage in the National Hillclimb Championships, is one of around eight similar tracks in the country.

During a time trial, cars can hit 120mph-plus and take between 45 and 75 seconds to make the ascent.

Opening the meeting was motorsport enthusiast Arnold Burton, who first purchased the farm that the track is now built on.

Members of the track’s hillclimb club eventually stumped up the money to buy him out and Harewood Hill Limited was formed and continues to own the site to this day.

He was joined by 19 drivers who took part in the first ever race in 1962.

Other highlights of the event, which was by the Lord Mayor of Leeds Coun Ann Castle who had her first date with her husband there, included a historic class involving Formula 2 and Formula 3 cars.

 

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