Ryder charges to the crown on final day of the season

It all came down to the final event of the season. After 24 Run-Offs spanning the length of the British Isles, the 2026 British Hillclimb Championship presented by Nova Motorsport would be decided at Prescott in Gloucestershire (19/20 September).

All eyes were on the top three coming into the Showdown. Matthew Ryder, Wallace Menzies and Will Hall were separated by just two points after taking dropped scores into account, and with just two scoring opportunities remaining, this was set to be the biggest battle in British hillclimbing history. We’ll get to those three in a moment.

In the opening Run-Off, just after lunchtime, the tension built as car after car pushed the benchmark lower and lower to get into Qualifying, let alone the Run-Off. With the September sun beating down on the 1,128-yard course, record-breaking times were there to be taken. Richard Alexander and Darren Gumbley both made it into the Run-Off in their shared 1100cc Force, but with the powerful machines to come, neither could sadly nab any points this time around despite their best efforts.

Australian Dean Tighe was still getting to grips with his new Gould GR59, but was delighted in taking his first point in the car. Jonathan Varey, in his 2000cc GWR Predator, secured two points – enough to guarantee the final number in the top-ten seeds for 2027.

David Warburton has been one of the dark horses in 2026 with his 1600cc Gould, as he guaranteed himself a return to the Top 10 in the standings with a metronomic run, while Paul Haimes was having his best season to date, and was on course to finish sixth overall in the standings after a handful of points in the first Top 12 of the day secured his lowest number of his career.

Alex Coles had to grab his supercharged Force by the scruff of its neck to haul in an absent Alex Summers ahead of him. Sixth in the first test put him in a strong position to follow that up with fifth in the second, leapfrogging Summers into seventh. Summers can be pleased with his season’s work too in his self-built AFS P4T and P8T machines. We can’t wait to see what 2027 brings for him with number eight on the nose.

Trevor Willis and Dave Uren were tied on points coming into Prescott, and it was to be a matter of whoever finished in front - would take fourth in the overall standings. Both drivers meant business, with several forceful burnouts to the line from both the Gould of Uren and OMS of Willis heating the Avon rubber for the job in hand. Uren went quickest in the first Run-Off to claim the advantage before a brilliant performance to take third in the final Run-Off cemented the number four on his Gould GR55 for 2027. Willis can be happy with his campaign and is already excited at the prospect of locking horns again next season as keeps the number five.

Then came the top three. It was going to be winner takes all for either Ryder, Menzies or Hall. The reigning champion Matthew Ryder held the advantage and needed a win and a record bonus point from the first run to seal the championship with a Run-Off to spare.

Wallace Menzies had other ideas. With the bit between his teeth, he knew that two wins for him would bring a fifth title back to Scotland. The man who, since the Channel Islands in midsummer, has been riding the crest of a wave utilised that confidence to tear four-tenths off the hill record – giving him the win and bonus point to put him level with Ryder.

Matt was also in fine form but was just 0.01 off his old record, leaving him second and with a little head-scratching for pace to do against rival Menzies. Will Hall couldn’t live with the top two. Third was a strong result, but sadly left him out of the race for the title this year.

And so it went to the final Run-Off. As each car ascended, the anticipation grew and the atmosphere became electric with a record crowd in attendance itching to see… would it be Ryder or Menzies.

Ryder produced magic in Qualifying to put his scarlet-red Gould last in the order, giving him the chance to survey the opposition ahead. Wallace went first, geed-up by his team, as the visor down – it was all or nothing. After a strong start, heading into Orchard Corner, the backend over-rotated and the number two Gould went side-on into the barrier. Wallace stepped out of the car unscathed and with a smile on his face and an acknowledgement to the crowd, he knew he had done all he could – but it was just too much this time.

While waiting for the clear-up, the pressure then sat on Ryder’s shoulders. Will Hall, with the title shackles off, wanted to end the season on a high. The Englishman produced the goods, setting the benchmark of a 35.22 - going almost as quickly as he had in the earlier Run-Off.

The agonising wait for Ryder felt never-ending. Checking the score sheet and the permutations multiple times, he had to beat Dave Uren, who was currently second to take his triple crown. With the stakes high and the pressure palpable, Matt Ryder produced a highly calculated run to finish second – enough for his third title and first running the car solo. It went down to the last car on the last round of the season.

“What a year, enthused Matt Ryder, what an incredible year of competition – it’s a testament to this paddock and hillclimbing in general. The camaraderie is brilliant and I must take my hat off to Will [Hall] and Wallace [Menzies] and thank them for such great racing. It’s been a real journey this year. We have had some great weekends this year and some really disappointing ones where you put everything in and you are two hundredths away from a win – but it’s only good enough for third and that makes you wonder what you have to do. But that has been the same for us all and shows just how close it is!

“It’s a massive team effort all year – I just jump in and drive it, but it’s the big work behind the scenes from the family that goes into it and I cannot thank them enough for all of this.”

Elsewhere Roger Moran won the final Tin Top Challenge Run-Off to seal his inaugural saloon title in style while Damien Bradley clinched the first Run-Off and with it the fastest time up Prescott in a tin-top 41.73.

And we do it all again. April and Prescott will be the scenes where we do it all again in 2027.