Museum event reaches new heights as Historic Hill Climb returns to Cultra, reported www.rallybuzz.com.
One of world’s oldest motorsport events – the Cultra Hill Climb – is returning to the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum, 5 years after the last event was run. To celebrate the revival of this historic automotive event, international rally driver Kris Meeke will be taking to the Hill Climb course on Saturday (11th September).
As the current Intercontinental Rally Champion, Dungannon-born Kris will be the star attraction at the event as he performs the official opening drive of the Hill Climb in a locally built Crossle sports racer. He will also be carrying out course car duties in a Ford Escort Mk2 and hopefully demonstrating a Peugeot RCZ, both made possible through the support of Turtles of Rathkenny, and lead a display of exotic sports cars, racing cars and vintage and classic competition motorcycles.
At various times during the day Kris will be signing autographs etc., at the Go Motorsport area. This will also be Kris’s first public outing in Northern Ireland since winning the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.
The Thoroughbred Sports Car Club Northern Ireland (TSCCNI) and the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum have worked in partnership to revive this classic event, which will be contested by competitors in both vintage and modern cars, and for the first time, single-seater racing cars. The course which sweeps through the beautiful grounds of the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum, provides a unique challenge to the competitors as they negotiate difficult corners and attempt to set the fastest time up the hill, in order to be crowned Cultra Champion 2010.
As well as the competive side of the event, the TSCCNI will be running various demo cars up the hill including Philip Shields Ferrari, Jim H’s Jade, Glen Campbell’s Audi Quattro S1 to name a few, plus groups of classic, vintage sports cars and motorbikes. These are the likes of MG, Riley, Austin, Ducatti, Triumph, Norton etc.
The Cultra Hill Climb is one of the World’s oldest motorsport events and was originally run in the grounds of the estate of Sir Robert Kennedy, which was later to become the site of Ulster’s award winning tourist attraction, the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum.
Curator of Transport at the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum, Mark Kennedy, said: “We are delighted that the Cultra Hill Climb is returning to the museum. Not only is it a thrilling spectacle as an array of vehicles dash round the course but the Hill Climb’s historic link with the museum site makes it a very special event for both motoring enthusiasts as well as visitors.”
TSCC(NI) President William Heaney, Event Coordinator, added: “We are looking forward to welcoming motorsport fans to this event and also introducing new audiences to the Hill Climb and its wonderful heritage. We are honoured to have the renowned Rally Champion Kris Meeke attending the event and we look forward to seeing the reaction of fans as he completes a number of parade runs. Kris will also take the opportunity to attend the GoMotorsport Stand, located in the spectator area at Cultra Manor.”
Those wanting to compete in the Hill Climb can find entry forms at www.tsccni.co.uk. Spectators attending the event will also have full access to the museum’s current exhibits in both the Folk and Transport museums.
Normal admission prices apply and more details can be found by visiting, www.nmni.com or www.tsccni.co.uk or call the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum on 028 9042 8428.
– Credit: www.rallybuzz.com