The penultimate round of the 2023 Motorsport Australia NSW Hillclimb Championship heads to the newly revamped Oakburn Park Raceway with a special honour on the line.  

With a strong field of 37 drivers entered to take on the hill climb, including two juniors, this weekend will also give drivers the opportunity to set a new track record, as the brand new 1370 metre Oakburn Park track layout gets its first official run. 

And with some of the 2023 series’ heavy hitters not entered to take part this weekend, there will be likely be a different name on top of the timesheets and in the record books, which each competitor getting a minimum of four attempts to secure the record time.

The most notable absence from the entry list is 2022 Australian champion Dean Tighe, who currently leads the NSW championship by 67 points after winning rounds one to four and finishing second in round five.

However, Tighe’s 34-point lead means his top ranking is secure, with no other competitor close enough in points to replace him before the end of the season.

Round five winner, Dean Amos, is also missing from this weekend’s entrants, alongside Dave Morrow and Steven King who took home third and fourth at the Grafton event. 

With those absences, Matthew Brown, who follows Tighe in the championship is this weekend’s frontrunner, after landing stellar podium finishes in both round four and three. 

Peter Brown, Wayne Penrose and Tim Blake, who sit in third, fifth and sixth place on the standings respectively, will also be competing and be hoping to claim top honours.

Other notable entries include Luca Cox who came first in the club’s recent lap dash at Oakburn Park, and his father Brian, who came a close second in that same event. 

Hosted by the Tamworth Sporting Car Club, the event will take place over Saturday and Sunday, with practice available from 12pm Saturday, before official competition commences Sunday morning. 

More information can be found on the Tamworth Sporting Car Club website.

Round six of the Motorsport Australia 2023 NSW Hillclimb Championship will take place at Oakburn Park on 15-16 July.