The 2007 Hillclimb was run and won on 20th & 21st October, again organised by the MG Car Club Newcastle. It was our 50th running of the event.
Results available on Competitive Events Page - plus photogallery has some great images and links
The 51st running will be held on the October long weekend, 2008.
Considered one of the most challenging Hillclimb courses in Australia, Newcastle's King Edward Park has been a picturesque Hillclimbing venue since 1951. Newcastle MG Car Club's premier annual event, The Mattara Hillclimb, has been run on the historic King Edward Park course every October since 1963. The course record for the 1.094 kilometre hillclimb is 33.63 seconds, set by Neil Farr in his Bowen .
The
event has become so popular that it is now conducted over two
days - half of the 160 plus field compete on the Saturday for the
New South Wales Hillclimb Championship, whilst Sunday's
event is a part of the Tri-Challenge series between our club and
Tamworth and Kempsey Sporting Car Clubs. The outstanding success of this event,
held as part of Newcastle's Mattara Festival, is achieved through
the efforts of many dedicated people.
In
1998 the sustained organisational excellence of club members was
recognised when the New South Wales Confederation of Australian
Motor Sport awarded Newcastle MG Car Club the prestigious trophy
for The Best Run Hillclimb of the Year. A feature of the
weekend is the large car display in the adjacent
parkland, usually attracting special interest classic
and sports cars from other car and motorcycle clubs in the district.
This hill has history, and so do many of the cars which climb it!
Consider
the unique Ron Ward-Noel Barnes MGTC Special. At the first
run in King Edward Park Hillclimb in 1951 Sydney MG Importer Ron
Ward drove to the top in a time of 67.72 seconds in his, then
one year old, MGTC Special. We are fortunate that years later
this same car still runs on the famous hill. Imported by Ron Ward
as a complete rolling 
chassis
(no body) in late 1949, Ron constructed the light single seater
body in his own workshop. Apart from raising the compression to
a very high 12 to 1, the motor was still the standard 1250cc capacity.
In this form 
Ron
raced his MGTC at Bathurst, Orange and Mt Druitt throughout 1950.
The photograph to the left shows Ron talking to Clerk of Course
at the start of the Jubilee King Edward Park Hillclimb in April
1951.
The
car was purchased by Noel Barnes of Tamworth in late 1953, conditional
on Ron Ward continuing to prepare the car for racing. In 1954
the car was painted its presen
t
Blue colour, bored to 1500cc, and supercharged to 10lbs boost.
Numerous trophies and class wins followed at Lowood (QLD) and
Bathurst, including 1500cc class wins at Bathurst ‘100’ meeting
in 1959, 1960, and 1961 - the car won a 3 lap race at the 1961
Bathurst Easter Meeting, being timed on Conrod Straight at 128
mph. Although not used in competition since 1962 Noel Barnes retained
the car and following a light restoration it was driven by his
son Eric at the April ’99 New England Historic GP in Uralla NSW.
Today the car is driven by Noel's sons, Eric and Ian Barnes. Noel,
now in his eighties, attends every meeting.
Other
competitors in those days included Dick Cobden, John Crouch, Ron
Taurenac and Sir Jack Brabham. Jack was quoted as saying King
Edward Park was the most demanding and best set up hillclimb in
all of Australia.
The
historic King Edward Park Hillclimb course is justly famous and
Newcastle MG Car Club are fortunate to have such a beautiful and
challenging circuit in our home town.
