The Must Love Cars Motorsport Australia Tasmanian Hill Climb Series gets underway this weekend with the North West Car Club (NWCC) hosting the first round at the Highclere hill climb course.

 

After an entertaining season finale in 2019 at the same venue saw Stephen Mott come away with victory on his final run of the event, 31 competitors will return to the popular course in order to start their 2020 campaigns.

 

While Mott will not be in attendance for the season opener, the two drivers he beat in the final stages of the series last year will headline this weekend’s field with Motorsport Australia Targa Championship star Jason White and Motorsport Australia Rally Championship veteran Craig Brooks leading the charge.

 

The duo isn’t the only two with a point to prove this weekend, with a number of difference drivers all in contention, including Sheridan Budsworth, Michel Bellinger, Ben Spriggs and Wayne Clark.

 

Event secretary Yvonne Payne was looking forward to the hill climb, with the North West Car Club’s members excited for the club’s first major event in 2020.

 

“The club is really excited for this weekend. It’s the first major event for the year and it’s fantastic to be able to host the state hill climb series once again,” Payne said.

 

“We pride ourselves on being efficient and running good hill climbs because a lot of our competitors come from Hobart and we want to make sure they can come up, compete and go home in the same day.

 

“All the hill climbs are very exciting and the club is very passionate about motorsport and doing that sort of thing. We work with likeminded people. It’s infectious.

 

“We have a great mix of drivers competing this weekend and it’s great to have Jason and Craig running again, as well as Sheridan and Wayne who has a such a huge collection of cars. It’s also going to be a great battle between Michel Bellinger and Ben Spriggs, with these two always considered in the hunt.”

  

The Highclere Hill Climb will take place at Oonah Road in Highclere from 10am on 22 February.