I've been competing in Hillclimbs for the last 10 years.
It's felt like I've made a big step up this year in particular and I'm now looking to get a top 10 finish wherever I'm driving. I enjoy the challenge of taking on the lads, there are some great drivers around and it's fun to be in the mix with them.
I first got into the sport when I went along to watch my husband compete. When a proposed house purchase fell through, rather than taking the sensible option of putting the cash into savings, I used some of it to buy a Lotus Elise S1. That was the start of it all. My husband booked a place for me at a hillclimb shool day, the winner on the day got a free entry into an event. I loved it and managed to win, so had to go buy all the stuff, a second hand race suit, an old motorbike helmet and off I went. That was it, I was hooked!
For a while we would both drive our cars around the country to the hillclimbs and compete, but eventually a decision needed to be made to get a van and take one car. So my husband now looks after the car for me and I get the fun of competing.
The whole social side of hillclimb meetings is great. It's like a big family. We camp overnight at the venues and you get to know everyone. If you have a mechanical problem or need a part, one of the other competitors more often than not can lend you something to get you running again.
Once the racing starts though, it's a serious business. I'm a very competitive person and get a massive buzz from each run.
It's all about getting to the end of your run and improving your time. Seeing the timing clock stop or getting your time on a ticket, the rush is enormous if you've set a personal best or better still, set a class record for the hill.
I learned the hard way what could happen if you push yourself and the car beyond them limit two years ago, when lying 2nd in a championship in the final round, I had a big off, which pretty much wrote the car off, the impact being so heavy that it actually split the driver's seat.
This season has been fantastic though. We've been to almost 30 meetings and just been so lucky with the weather. I've kept breaking class records and just got on to a great run of times and victories. The buzz from driving lasts for days after, winning just makes it all that more special and I've just loved every minute of it. I really wouldn't swap it for anything.
Sarah Bosworth.
Sarah was interviewed in the paddock at the concluding weekend of the 50th Anniversary Harewood Hillclimb season. Shortly after this interview, Sarah drove her Elise up the hillclimb in record breaking style, securing the class record and with it, the overall trophy as champion for 2012. Congratulations!
Memory added on September 30, 2012
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