Crews in the CAMS Australian Hill Climb Championship are ready to do battle on Australia’s most revered patch of tarmac – Mount Panorama, Bathurst.
More than 140 drivers from across the nation have entered the 75th running of the event, with one to be crowned champion of Australia.
This year is the 12th time the Bathurst Light Car Club have been given hosting duties, with their last national event taking place in 2012, giving competitors the expectation of a solid event.
All the big names in the current hill climb scene will be in attendance, with reigning champion Malcolm Oastler headlining the impressive field of cars from all walks of life.
Oastler heads into the round having dominated last year’s championship, and is arguably one of the favourites after a strong run of form in both local and state level competition this year.
Brett Hayward, Gary West, Dean Tighe, David Mahon, Michael Bishop, Ron Hay and Dean Amos are just some of the other title contenders locked into the championship, all with the goal of knocking Oastler off his perch.
With a large crowd expected to come watch the drivers take on Mountain Straight, Bathurst Light Car Club Committee Member Scott Sims is excited for a huge weekend to come.
“It’s a big event and it’s a huge honour for us to be hosting the 75th anniversary,” Sims said.
“We have 18 of the past 20 Australian champions competing, and the remaining two are also here to look around. So, we have the previous 20 champions here on site which is fantastic.
“It’s the who’s who of Australian hill climbing. Peter Gumley will be one of those that will be here as a spectator and it’s fantastic to have him here as he is a 10-time Australian champion.
“As for the competitors, Malcolm (Oastler) is a regular competitor here and he is very quick and knows the circuit well – so he is definitely a favourite. Gary West has come over form Perth from multiple times already this year in preparation so he is also a major contender.
“Gary is here as well despite his workshop burning down recently which is a testament to him, Ron Hay will be campaigning for the last time in the championship so it’s just going to a brilliant weekend with a lot of great stories.”
While the club normally gets 90 competitors for their events, Sims puts down this year’s expansion to one simple fact.
“We would like to think it’s the club’s reputation that has attracted so many competitors for the national event, but really it’s The Mountain,” Sims enthused.
“In all seriousness, they all love The Mountain and this hill climb is 1700 metres long, and it’s one of the best bits of road in Australia bar none.
"It’s exactly the same circuit as we have had the whole time. We call it The Mountain Straight hill climb. They start halfway up Mountain Straight and run through to the pullies compound at the top.
"It doesn’t matter what you drive, they all say the same thing. It’s one of the fastest and one of the most magnificent pieces of road in Australia."
The event kicks off on Saturday morning and goes all the way through until Sunday afternoon, with competitors getting multiple runs at the course.
Spectators can enter the gates for spectators from 6:30am on both days, with the competition side of things to begin from 9am onwards.
Fans unable to attend the event can watch it from the comfort of their own homes with live streaming available online for the whole event.
The 2019 CAMS Australian Hill Climb Championship takes place at Mount Panorama’s Mountain Straight in Bathurst on 1-3 November.