13/10/2025
One of the best weekends I’ve ever had at a Motorsport event… and I’ve spent a lot of weekends at Motorsport events!
Apologies in advance if I spelt anyone’s name wrong in the write up 😅
Results- Australian Hillclimb Championship 🏁
With bank-laps sorted, setups fine tuned and the track memorised, day 3 was always going to be fast… but we didn’t expect our drivers to go so hard from the opening flag.
Half of our top 10 bettered their best before the coffee had even kicked in, but none of them were done. Mechanical failures aside, every one of our top cars would eclipse day 1’s efforts before Sunday was out.
Starting at the top with Dean Amos in the Gould GR55B, who put any doubt aside early, then just kept finding tenths to end the day on a 43.33. A time no one thought possible and an effort worthy of the new Australian Hillclimb Champion. Congrats Dean!
His Formula Libre rivals, Dean Tighe (Empire) & Warwick Hutchinson (OMS28) both pulled 2 seconds out of their Saturday efforts, resulting in 2nd and 3rd outright with times of 45.60 and 47.00 respectively. It was a rare pleasure to see cars of this calibre at full flight on a South Australian course, and we really appreciated the show!
Tin top leader Dan Day only managed 1 run on Sunday, with the SJ1000 sidelined, but his 51.08 banker would secure the Open 4WD Time Attack crown and the title of fastest production-based car. In Dan’s absence Douglas Johnson (GC8), Damien Brand (2 Door WRX) & Mirko Grbic (Evo 7) would step up their game considerably. 52.38 for Johnson, 53.40 for Brand and 53.71 for Grbic was a thrill for spectators and competitors alike.
Phil Heafey locked up the 3D Sports Sedan 4WD title with a 53.92, with Ryan Verner 2nd. Both Evo’s were well driven throughout the weekend, but the outright pace & consistency of Heafey was a true highlight.
2A Sports Cars 4WD was a blinder of a battle. Heading into the shootout, one 1-hundredths of a second separated Matthew Brown’s Audi TT from Nick Streckeisen’s GTR. Both went quicker, but it was the Audi (54.47) that would remain in front, beating out the GTR (54.50) and winning the category. 3rd in class went to Kirk Owers, chasing the big guns in his Focus RS.
The 2A Sports Cars 2L-4L group was in the same situation, with Todd Carruthers 55.10 on the last run of the day edging out Sean Day’s 55.11 in their similar spec cup car 911s. Come the shootout, Day pulled out a heroic 54.41. It was the biggest improvement of any of the shootout competitors and a hell of a lap. Nicholas Capogreco impressed throughout the day in his NC MX5, locking up 3rd in class with a 58.61.
Julian Newton (55.66) held off fierce competition in the 3C Rally Cars AWD group, with his Evo holding off a late challenge from the WRX crew. Russell Greenham’s impressive 350AWKW WRX improved dramatically to 57.16 while Philip Bunker’s boxer hit a 57.24 for third.
Martin Farkas secured the 3C Rally cars 2L+ crown, with his crowd favourite BMW M3 landing a 56.60 and showing good consistency. John Stacey & Daniel Parson’s Mini’s rounded off that field with a narrow margin of 70.08 over 70.12. Watch this space as Daniel continues to develop the K series Mini into the weapon it is certain to become.
In 2B/2F Production Sports 3L+, Jason Perkins lived up to his surname on Bathurst day, landing a 56.90 in his Lotus Exige. Grand Auto wreckers Anthony Norris took his Silvia to a 57.75 for 2nd, while Troy Zytveld rounded things off with a 60.76 in his Nissan.
Time Attack send-man Stanley Gong peddled his Evo to 57.02 on the last run of the day to rip the Time Attack Clubsprint 4WD trophy out of the hands of Oliver Taylor’s Audi (57.33). Ashley Blanchard was next in that group, breaking the elusive 60 second barrier with a 59.97.
Tim Possingham locked out the Limited Modified 4L+ category, nailing a 57.91 in his very well handled McLaren. Despite good improvement from Tony Wood’s BMW (59.58) and an unbelievable run from Craig Michelmore’s Tickford racing inspired AU (60.34), the supercar would have the day.
In the 2L-4L limited modified, on the last run of the day, Alex Pavlenko pulled out a 60.69 in the Golf R, scraping the win from Wesley Craill who finished on 60.76 in his WRX. The battle for third between Hayden McMahon & Neil Branum’s WRXs went to the flag with both shaving over a second off their PBs. In the end it was McMahon’s 2024 car (62.18) over Branum’s GC8 (62.31) but it really could’ve gone either way.
Young gun Charlie Evans made good on his goal of beating his Dad, while also securing the 3J improved production 3L-6L crown and fastest junior. His commodore achieving a 58.03 on the last run of the day, good enough for 25th outright. Luke Day’s R31 (60.88) and Kylie Howard’s HRT liveried commodore (63.64) rounded out the class.
For the juniors, it was Magnus Poole’s excel (64.13), Max Viitanen’s Commodore (64.43) and Jackson Sullivan’s Excel (64.64) putting on a good scrap for the smaller trophies. Congratulations to all 7 of the juniors who showed great improvement, race craft and community spirit throughout the event!
Fletcher Bolton made good on the performance his V8 MX5 has hinted to for years, with an outstanding 58.06 to secure the 2A Sports Cars 4L+ win. It was another nail biter for minor placings, with Mike Holland’s 911 in second (60.33), Greg Bowden getting painfully close on his last run to secure 3rd (60.34) and Mark Haig’s Datsun (60.76) coming home for a well deserved 4th.
Of our 2 EV entrants Mike Poljonker’s KIA (58.09) proved faster than David Sargent’s Hyundai (62.60). The sheer acceleration and speed of these cars was an eye opener for many, with Mike often hitting over 200KPH on the technical course in his winning electric Kia.
In Road Cars 2L-4L nobody could match Greg Keene or his impressive GT4RS, which ended up with a 59.24. Next best was Anthony Daly who deserves massive respect for shaving 2 seconds off an already quick time to achieve 60.06 in a road spec Hyundai i30N. Mark Ruta capped things off with his i20N holding many a sports car accountable with a 63.16.
In the 1.6L-2L Road Car class, it was a 66.68 from Nathan Apps Honda to seal the title. Martin McLoughlin’s Renault (67.98) and Dale Provan’s MX5 (69.67) completed that class’ podium, while in the under 1.6L group it would be Carl Smith’s Civic with the win.
3D Sports Sedans 3L-6L was a very tight finish with Matthew Evans in the Commodore and Glen Latter in the RX7 both hitting their best time by some margin on the last run of the day. It was Evans 60.07 that took the chocolates over the rotary’s 60.11, but both men truly deserved the win. Taking home 3rd was the Datsun 1600 of Simon Thompson (61.50) followed by Peter Sendy’s mean green VE Commodore (62.11).
8 ladies threw down laps over the weekend but it was the 2nd to last run of the event where they all shined bright. Emma Branum proved quickest with an incredible 61.88 in her WRX Rally Car while Tania Langcake’s purple GC8 hit a 62.83. Kylie Howard’s Commodore was next with 63.64, followed by Sandra Branum, Madelyn Wegener & Bec Boggiano.
While we’ve focused on the most heavily entered classes here, special mentions are deserved for many people in smaller categories that really punched above their weight. Will Wauchop’s GR Yaris hitting 59.19, Paul Finch achieving 60.41 in the Clubman, Stuart Haverkort’s Honda running a 60.56 and Harry Doling’s Celica hitting 61.77 are just a handful of the many giant killers we had in attendance.
It must be said that the 2025 Australian Hillclimb Championship was a phenomenal success and a big part of that was the exceptional driving from all of our competitors. Congratulations not only to those who took home a trophy, but to those who rocked up, did their best and gave it their all. That is what Motorsport is really all about.
Until next time! - Hayden, The Pit Walk. 🏁
