Two-dayer gets green light but no ‘National’
THE mooted two-day hill-climb has received the go-ahead just as hopes of a local ‘Nationals’ event crash for a second year running.
With no expectation of travelling or hosting UK visitors during the hill-climb season, the Guernsey Motorcycle and Car Club have created a new domestic spectacle – a Le Val des Terres double-bill spanning Sunday 2 May and the bank holiday Monday.
Long-serving GMCCC president Ian Le Page confirmed that it will consist of two single-day events, rather than one big championship.
‘That’s happening. States departments and the douzaine have given us the green light for that, so we will be having a two-day,’ he said.
‘Because we didn’t have many events last year, we thought it would be nice to – hopefully – do a two-day to get an extra event in.
‘Some of the drivers said it would be good to have a two-day... you’ve got more time in your vehicle. It will be good.’
But Le Page also confirmed that Guernsey organisers have put the brakes on July’s ‘National’ hill-climb following talks with the British Championship co-ordinator.
This echoes Jersey’s approach, leading to all four Channel Islands rounds being slashed from the British Hill-Climb Championship.
‘We had a talk with Jersey and we didn’t see anything happening, so we thought it would be fair on the competitors and the officials, as they want to book their hotels and times to go,’ he said.
‘We thought it’s better to say “Let’s forget about it this year”, but we will be holding a local event that day.’
This follows the cancellation of last year’s event during what was overall a significantly truncated season.
Otherwise Le Page, whose new counterpart for the Guernsey Kart and Motor Club is yet to be elected, expects no major changes to a hill-climb calendar scheduled to run from 5 April to 2 October.
Of course, that is dependent on Guernsey’s Covid situation.
