Ontario’s Rich Hill Climb Racing History

by Rupert Lloyd Thomas © 2013

Mosport Jordan Special
Mosport Jordan Special

Hill Climb racing was held in Ontario 1950-1967. A B.E.M.C. history explains it thus:
“Hill Climbs were an early feature for BEMC. We raced, one car at a time, up the hills at Rattlesnake Point, Hockley Valley and the so-called “Flat Hill Climb” at Mosport. These hill climbs were usually run in the spring or the fall, before and after the circuit-racing season. When Rattlesnake Point (Milton) and Hockley Valley (Orangeville) were developed with expensive private homes, our events became unpopular with the local population and the politicians.

The Flat Hill Climb at Mosport was the answer. We would not disturb any residents. The cars started at corner 5 and drove backwards up through four, left at corner 3 and went up hill through two and corner one finishing on the pit straight. The Flat Hill Climb proved popular, as there was a real party/picnic atmosphere about them. This event came to an end because of the increasing use of Mosport for racing and race driving schools.”

This is a narrow club view. Events were confined to spring and fall in an attempt to avoid the dusty conditions of summer at Rattlesnake and Hockley Valley. They were not always successful as old films show cars churning up the dust. Competitors also extended their hillclimb season by competing at Rockwood, and, at different times, Mont Gabriel and Gatineau (Camp Fortune and Paugan Inn), Quebec, as well as travelling to the USA to race at Glenwood, Holland, Keene, Giants Despair, Mount Equinox etc.
1964: “With competitors having to file performance claims for standing, Horst Kroll was awarded the national hillclimb championship with 32 points for two wins and two places in four events entered. His Porsche Carrera had the legs of second-place John Bowles, who achieved two seconds, a third and a sixth with his gray (sic) XKE coupe. A threat on the horizon was Wayne Jamieson of Winnipeg who took third with 18 points in which he entered his Corvette due to his geographical handicap.” [1]

Flat Hill Climb: Mosport Park Table of Winners

Year Driver Vehicle Time Club Notes
1962 Don Haddow Jordan Special 1:04.50 BEMC [2] May 5.
Peter Murdoch Connaught #5 1:05.25 BEMC [3] July 28.
Don Haddow Jordan Special 1:07.39 BEMC [4] Oct 28.
1963 BEMC May 12.
BEMC July 7.
BEMC Oct 20.
1964 Gord Brown Merlyn #28 1:04.46 BEMC [5] May 24.
Horst Kroll Formula Libre #23 1:02.61 BEMC [6] June 19.
Wayne Measor Chevrolet Corvette 5,360 c.c. #20 0:59.08 TSOA [7] June 27.
Horst Kroll Formula “V”-Porsche #23 1:00.22 BEMC [8] Oct 18.
1965 TSOA May 16.
BEMC May 23.
Horst Kroll Porsche Carrera 1:00.61 [9] Oct 9, 10, 11.
BEMC Oct 17.
1966 BEMC May 22.
Oct 8, 9, 10.
1967 BEMC May 21.

BEMC = British Empire Motor Club; TSOA = Triumph Sporting Owners Association

  1. ^ Competition Press, 27 Feb 1965, P16.
  2. ^ Document: BRITISH EMPIRE MOTOR CLUB, OFFICIAL RESULTS, FLAT HILL CLIMB, MAY 5, 1962.
  3. ^ Document: BRITISH EMPIRE MOTOR CLUB, OFFICIAL RESULTS, FLAT HILL CLIMB, JULY 28, 1962.
  4. ^ Document: BRITISH EMPIRE MOTOR CLUB, OFFICIAL RESULTS, FLAT HILL CLIMB, OCT 28, 1962.
  5. ^ Document: BRITISH EMPIRE MOTOR CLUB, SPRING HILL CLIMB, May 24th, 1964, Overall Positions.
  6. ^ Document: BRITISH EMPIRE MOTOR CLUB, SUMMER HILL CLIMB, MOSPORT PARK, JUNE 19, 1964, OVERALL POSITIONS.
  7. ^ Document: PROVISIONAL RESULTS DOLOMITE HILL CLIMB, 27th June 1964.
  8. ^ Document: BRITISH EMPIRE MOTOR CLUB, FALL HILL CLIMB, MOSPORT PARK, OCTOBER 18, 1964.
  9. ^ Document: THANKSGIVING SPEED WEEKEND, October 9, 10, 11, 1965, MOSPORT PARK.