MEDIA RELEASE
11 MAY 2011

Kaitangata Hillclimb Title Wide Open

The 2011 Kaitangata Bob Scott Memorial Hillclimb looks certain to provide a new champion when it takes place this Saturday.

The event, which has been revived in recent times after being a Gold Star Hillclimb many years ago, takes place after a postponement earlier in the year after the Canterbury earthquake.

The 2011 edition of the event could be the most exciting yet as some of the top contenders of past years are not competing this Saturday leaving no clear favourite.

Dunedin driver Mike Wellington is a potential winner in his Mitsubishi EVO 6 RS. Wellington was sixth in the 2010 event and has a best time on the hill of 54.81 seconds. His brother Steve Wellington in a similar car is another top chance. Steve was third overall in last years Laird Motorsport Southern Rally Series and will certainly be competitive. Another to watch is Craig Molloy of Dunedin. A very talented driver, Molloy was seventh last year in his EVO 3 and has a best time on the hill of 54.99 seconds, just a shade slower than Mike Wellingtons best. Paul Beattie of Cromwell (EVO 6) was eighth last year while Brian Scott, one of three sons of Bob Scott who this event is named after was ninth last season in his EVO 1.

While the battle for overall honours is bound to be fought out by the 4-wheel-drive machinery there are several drivers in particular who could give them a hurry up. Mosgiel driver Chris Hey is the current Class C and 2-wheel-drive champion at this event and is always devastatingly quick in his turbocharged Toyota MR2. He finished just outside the top ten last year and was the fastest 2-wheel-drive car at the recent Ashley Forest Hillclimb in North Canterbury. Local driver Duncan McCrostie is a two-time winner of this event although those wins were achieved in his Mitsubishi EVO hillclimb car. This Saturday McCrostie will be in his 2-wheel-drive Nissan Bluebird. While the car will not be capable of overall honours McCrostie, like Hey, will be pushing the faster cars hard. Others to the fore in Class C will be Paul Goatley of Balclutha, the reigning Class B Champion, now in a Ford Escort BDA plus Warner Reid also of Balclutha in another turbocharged Toyota MR2 and Neville Kidd
of Cromwell in a Toyota powered Ford Escort.

In Class B Carter Strang of Wallacetown and Kevin Laird of Gore in Toyota Levins plus Invercargill driver Phil Terry in a Toyota Trueno should fight it out along with Brodie Anderson of Dunedin in a 4AGE powered Toyota Starlet.

In Class A Roger Laird of Gore in a Suzuki Swift, Chris Thompson of Kaitangata in a very rapid Nissan Sunny and Tony Adamson of Queenstown in another Suzuki Swift look set to battle for the title.

In Class E for Sports & Racing Cars Bob Scotts other two sons, Gregory and Robert compete along with one of the event originals - Graeme Taylor of Temuka. Taylor will drive a Ford powered Morris Minor while Gregory Scott drives the Scott Special and Robert Scott will pilot both a Scott Flathead Special and the CEA V8 Special.

Several other local drivers will line up for the event with Murray Marshall of Kaitangata, Damian Vincent of Stirling, Balclutha drivers Steve Cleverley, Craig Barclay, Paul Gouman, Alister Munro and another of the original hillclimb competitors John Metherell plus Milton drivers Jimmy Hogg and Dean McCrostie among the entries.

Competitors will receive four official runs throughout the day with the fastest counting towards a drivers overall placing in the event. There will be five classes with 2-wheel-drive classes for 0-1300cc, 1301cc-1600cc and 1601cc and over. There is also a class for 4-wheel-drive cars and a sports and racing car category. The first run is scheduled for 11.30am.

Brian Scott, recently crowned South Island Pre 65 Saloon Champion will do some demonstration runs up the hill in his title winning V8 Falcon which is an exciting prospect. The car will also be on display during the day.

The event is also the final round of the Eastern Southland Car Clubs championship and that title race is evenly poised. Roger Laird of Gore leads by 3 points from Chris Hey while Karen Laird is in third place just 6 points behind Hey.

The Kaitangata Bob Scott Memorial Hillclimb is a joint promotion between Kaitangata Black Gold Community Inc and the Eastern Southland Car Club and takes place on a 1.2 kilometre gravel course at Whites Road, City Forests in Kaitangata. The venue was the scene of several Gold Star national hilllcimbs several years ago and Bob Scott was a prominent competitor both in the hillclimbs and other motorsport events.

The late Bob Scott was a former Mayor Of Kaitangata and a successful motorsport competitor and businessman. Those who competed against Bob Scott remember him fondly. Amongst his motorsport achievements were three South Island Grass Track titles and the Kaitangata Hillclimb title in 1967. He also owned Scott's Garage in the town during the 1960's and 70's.

Scott was famous for the Scott Special which has been seen in the event each year since it was brought back to life.

ends