Chateau Impney Hill Climb 2017

[Martin Harrold]

Chateau Impney Hill Climb 2017

Following a surprise invitation from the organisers, we took 97 along and I did three demo runs over the weekend.

It's a huge event with over 200 competing cars, vintage, historic and classic. Each competing car did two practice and two 'race' runs over the two days. The venue is a wonderful French style country house hotel off M5, jct 5. The well surfaced hill climb track wanders up the hill through the trees (lots of very big straw bales) and it even runs round a roundabout. The crowd was huge - probably the biggest that has ever viewed a 2CV racer in action. We were on display in the concours section, with some very, very, expensive cars around us.

The organisers were extremely welcoming and the event is quite classy. They want some 2CV's there in 2018 and will be creating a suitable class allowing them to enter. Pre-1965 racing saloons or similar - a 2CV is unlikely to win the class, but no-one apart from the driver really cares about times. The whole thing is televised on big screens around the course and there are great camping facilities next to the paddock.

A super weekend, possibly a bit like the Goodwood Festival in its early days, and I'll keep you posted about next years event. Remember, next year we celebrate 70 years of the Citroen 2CV.