The Southern Districts Motorsport Association will get its 2023 season underway this weekend with the first round of its 10-round ACT Hillclimb Championship.
 
Taking place at the club’s own Fairbairn Park Hillclimb Circuit, a full field of 60 competitors are entered in the event with each to get five runs of the challenging 980-metre course.
 
As a result of it being the first round of the year and with competitors keen to get their 2023 seasons started, the event reached its maximum field in just 25 minutes after entries opened – highlighting the strength of the club’s membership base.
 
Boasting an impressive list of alumni such as Michelle Guyer and Malcolm Oastler, the hill climbs have served as a breeding ground for the Motorsport Australia Hill Climb Championship.
 
Ahead of the 2023 season opener, Clerk of Course Chris Hardy was thrilled with the amount of interest in the event and was looking forward to the day.
 
“We’re really pleased with how preparations for this event have been going and I expect that it’s going to be a fantastic start to our 2023 season,” Hardy said.
 
“While we normally have full fields throughout the year, to get it filled up in just 25 minutes was unprecedented and something we’re really excited about. We had quite a big reserve list too, which was great.
 
“Our members are very keen and loyal and they have been starved of motorsport for the past three months, so when entries came out, they jumped on it.
 
“There might not be any ‘big’ names, but the club has nurtured many high-profile competitors over the years, and they all come to events like this, so the next Malcolm Oastler might be competing this weekend. 
 
“We have a full field of local competitors, the track is looking fantastic, perfect weather is forecast, the preparation has been seamless, we have a good number of volunteers and I think everyone is really excited for the event, so we can’t wait until Sunday.  
 
“Finally, no club event can run without our volunteers, so we’re extremely grateful to them for their passion and dedication.”
 
The event kicks off at 9am on Sunday with spectating free for anyone interested in attending.
 
The unique formation of the course allows spectators to see the whole track from the spectator point – one of the only hill climb courses around the country to do so.
 
Click here for more information.
 
The SDMA Club Hillclimb takes place at Fairbairn Park Hillclimb Circuit on 5 February.