British Hillclimb Championship eyeing 80th anniversary as 2027 calendar announced
Following a titanic title fight for the 2026 British Hillclimb Championship crown, attention has swiftly turned to planning for the upcoming 2027 season.
Next year, the Motorsport UK British Hillclimb Championship presented by Nova Motorsport and organised by the British Automobile Racing Club (BARC) will celebrate its 80th anniversary with an expanded calendar travelling the length and breadth of the British Isles.
It all started in 1947, with Raymond Mays sealing the first British Hillclimbing title in his famous black ERA R4D, winning four of the five rounds in that inaugural season. In fact, the four venues where Mays won are still on the calendar today, with Shelsley Walsh, Bouley Bay, Craigantlet and Prescott continuing to welcome the fastest drivers in the country and the latest machinery to the hills.
Fast-forward 80 years and the action-packed 2027 calendar is looking as exciting as ever, with a variety of hills making up 14 rounds and 28 Run-Offs next season.
The championship begins on 24/25 April, with Prescott hosting the series opener and kick-starting the 80th anniversary season. This will be followed by the first trip overseas, with Craigantlet in Northern Ireland on 1 May, at the hill rising above the capital, Belfast.
A week later, on 8/9 May, the championship speeds into Harewood for the first of two visits, before descending upon Gurston Down for the roller-coaster ride on 29/30 May.
The summer schedule is opened by the oldest hill on the calendar – Shelsley Walsh (5/6 June) – with the first visit to Doune in Scotland following on 19/20 June. A drop down the country then takes the championship back to Harewood (3/4 July), bringing the contest to the midpoint of the season.
The Channel Island rounds are reconfirmed for 2027, with the technical Bouley Bay and flowing Val des Terres hills serving up the midsummer excitement. However, the precise dates are yet to be ratified, with a formal announcement expected before the end of 2026.
Devon and the South West are always inviting in the summer, and Wiscombe Park finishes off July on 24/25 July. The second visit to Shelsley Walsh opens August on 7/8 August, with Loton Park bookending the August dates for the series on the Bank Holiday weekend (28/29 August).
Then the championship kicks it up a gear with a return to Doune on 18/19 September, before the season finale will once again be held at the prestigious Prescott hill on 25/26 September – where the title could well be decided once again.
The British Hillclimb Championship Cup presented by BMTR and Hoosier will also return in 2027. Excluding the overseas trips, all other rounds will count towards the Cup, while the Tin Top Challenge presented by AET Turbos will once again kick off at Doune in June and, like the BHC Cup, will end at Prescott in September.
British Hillclimb Championship Coordinator Tim Wilson said: “We are delighted to present the 2027 calendar, which will hopefully enable competitors to start their planning ahead of the campaign next year. We believe we have a strong calendar of events, offering variety for competitors while also keeping alive the tradition of the series as we embark on our 80th anniversary season.
“Prescott, Craigantlet, Shelsley Walsh and Bouley Bay were all on that inaugural calendar, and we are pleased to be returning to those locations 80 years on. I am sure all organising clubs have begun preparations to celebrate this incredible milestone.
“The Channel Island rounds are always destinations competitors want to go to, and we are working towards a solution to entice more competitors to experience these well-organised and challenging hills. We are advising competitors to be patient and hold off booking travel and accommodation until dates are confirmed. We hope to do this as soon as possible.”
Regulations and entries are due to open in the new year. For the latest information, head to britishhillclimb.co.uk or the Championship Facebook and Instagram channels.
