Chateau Impney
Memories of Chateau Impney’s final sprint are revived as the extended course gets into its stride
’More than 200 cars were put through their paces at the Chateau’
The third annual Chateau Impney Hill Climb weekend coincided with the 50th anniversary since the final sprint event was held in the grounds of the hotel and conference centre near Droitwich.
One driver taking part in this year’s event on the extended hill climb course – introduced when motorsport was revived at Chateau Impney in 2015 – remembered the 1967 550-yard sprint very well, because he drove on it!
Dave Parr from Womborne near Wolverhampton drove a Ford back then – and did so again this year, though it was a different car. Dave has only owned his 105E for the past month or so and is still getting used to it and its 1660cc Crossflow engine. The 1964 Ford was entered in the class for production cars from 1950 to 1967.
More than 200 cars were put through their paces at the Chateau, ranging from pre-war racers through to pre-1968 cars (to coincide with the closure of the sprint course). There were also display runs on the exacting hill course, including howling Formula 1 racing and bellowing Group B rally cars.
A number of competing Maseratis also marked 60 years since the works team withdrew from Formula 1.
Jack Woodhouse, who won the class for pre-1968 racing cars driving a 1963 Lotus 20/22, regained the Ken Wharton Memorial Trophy for Fastest Time of the Day with a new course record time of 39.33 seconds.
One of the other prizes won’t be straying far from the venue – Chateau Impney’s event director, Rod Spollon, won his class driving a former Formula 1 1960 BRM P48 racing car around the course.