Ottery St Mary hillclimber has defended championship title

Ed Hollier successfully defended his Fusion Fostering ASWMC Hill Climb Championship title in a thrilling contest.

The final round took place at Tregrehan near St Austell, where Hollier clinched the title in his Force HC single-seater racing car.

This victory marks a back-to-back championship win for Hollier, who also claimed the title in 2023.

Hollier, a Woolbridge Motor Club member, has been in exceptional form throughout the season, achieving seven fastest times of the day at his home hill of Wiscombe Park, Honiton.

He set both national and regional records, clocking 35.59 seconds during a British Championship event in July and 35.29 seconds at the final event of the season, the MG Car Club meeting.

In addition to his achievements at Wiscombe, Hollier set three new records at Tregrehan in his pursuit of the ASWMC title.

The 2024 championship proved to be a closely contested battle, with five drivers in contention for the title.

Drivers are allowed to count only their best nine results from the 14 rounds, with bonus points awarded for setting new records.

Hollier set three new records at Tregrehan in his pursuit of the ASWMC title (Image: Nigel M Cole)

Jack Ellis, in his Subaru Impreza, chased Hollier hard, setting records at Werrington and Gurston Down on his way to second place in the championship, finishing just 0.4 of a point behind Hollier.

There was a three-way tie for third place between Julian Rinaldi, Ian Ingleheart, and Paul Reynolds, all finishing with 189 points.

This situation was decided by their respective dropped scores total.

The top five drivers were separated by just 1.08 points, making for a nail-biting finish.

Hollier made his hill climb debut in 1994 at Torbay MC’s Oddicombe Hillclimb, sharing a highly modified Austin Mini with his father, Bob.

By the early 2000s, Hollier had graduated to single-seater racing cars, making his British Hillclimb Championship debut in 2004 and being crowned MSA Hillclimb Leaders Champion in 2007.

His best British Hillclimb Championship season was in 2016, finishing in 9th place overall.

Speed hill climbing is a family sport, and Hollier's father, Bob, still assists with the maintenance of the car and is always in the paddock on race days, helping to make adjustments.

Fans can catch Hollier in action at the first event of the 2025 season at Wiscombe Park on April 26 and 27.

For more information, visit wiscombepark.co.uk and woolbridge.co.uk.

Hollier's continued success underscores his status as one of the fastest drivers in the South West.