It first ran in 1905 and, apart from wartime interruptions, it has been running ever since. What’s more, the same course has been used throughout, and the 1000-yard length has been the same since 1907. It is a genuine living piece of automobile history.
The Shelsley Walsh hillclimb is run by the Midland Automobile Club and it is renowned for being one of the steepest hillclimbs around – it’s as steep as 1 in 6 in places. This makes it a real power circuit, only adding to the excitement of spectating at Shelsley. More than anywhere, fast and exciting cars excel here.
It’s a thrill for the drivers too, because in places, the course is just 12 feet wide. Read our latest feature here.
What is the Shelsley Walsh Speed Hill Climb?
The Shelsley Walsh Speed Hill Climb is one of the oldest and most iconic motorsport events in the world and is held annually at a venue located near the village of Shelsley Walsh in Worcestershire, England.
The event started in 1905 and features a 1,000-yard long track. It features challenging corners and steep gradients that test the skill and bravery of drivers from all over the world.
The track is famous for its sections such as The Bottom Bend, The Esses, and the Shelsley Sweep.
Competitors typically make two timed runs, with the fastest time being used to determine the winner in each category.
How does a hillclimb work?
Hillclimbing is one of the purest forms of motorsport. The premise is simple: complete the course in as fast a time as possible. At Shelsley, a gentleman called Ernest Instone set the first-ever time of 77 seconds in his 35hp Daimler. Today, the course record stands at just 22.58 seconds.
Competitors don’t race wheel-to-wheel in a hillclimb, and each takes to the course one-by-one. The challenge is chipping away at your time, in front of thousands, making it a uniquely thrilling form of motorsport.
Which famous drivers have raced at Shelsley Walsh?
Because of its age, many famous names have taken to the track at Shelsley Walsh. Stirling Moss, for example, turned up to drive back in 1947, but the organisers told him he was too young. He returned the following year, and won.
The 1930s was a golden age for Shelsley Walsh, with world-famous names from Grand Prix racing turning up to drive. The legendary Hans Stuck drove at Shelsley in his mighty Auto Union; the equivalent today would be Lewis Hamilton driving his Mercedes-AMG Formula One car up the course.
In 2016, Stuck’s son, Hans Joachim Stuck, recreated history by driving his father’s Auto Union at Shelsley, for yet another memorable day in the course’s history.
What is the Shelsley Trust?
The Shelsley Walsh course is leaseheld, with the landowners agreeing to a 99-year lease back in 1905. Come 2004, this created a dilemma – particularly as the landowners did not want to sell the land. They instead offered another 99-year lease, but at a cost of over £1 million.
The answer was the formation of the Shelsley Trust, which was charged with raising the funds through innovative schemes such as letting enthusiasts by buying the custody of a ‘Yard of Tarmac’. It all proved an enormous success and the club raised the necessary cash in 2005 – securing hillclimbing at Shelsley for another 99 years.
What is the link between Shelsley Walsh and the RAC?
The Midland Automobile Club was, in 1901, the first motoring club to be affiliated with the Automobile Club of Great Britain. Founded in 1897, This gained royal approval in 1907 – becoming the Royal Automobile Club, or RAC. This was thanks to King Edward VII’s eager interest in all things motoring.
Coincidentally, 1901 was a significant date in both organisations’ history. Not only was the MAC founded in 1901, this was also the year uniformed patrols were introduced onto British roads!
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