Kendal riders enter Percy Duff Barbon Speed Hill Climb

Fans flocked to Barbon Manor on July 22 for the 55th running of the Percy Duff Barbon Speed Hillclimb - one of the highlights in the National Hill Climb’s Association’s calendar.

After practicing in the morning, 65 riders across six different engine categories had three attempts each across two competition runs to see who could ride up the sodden 890-yard hill in the fastest time.

Two local riders from Kendal took part in the 500cc category.

Kev Jannikos on his TM SMX motorbike finished in 30th place recording a fastest time of 31.36 and Andrew Davis finished 37th on his KTM EXC machine in 32:00 seconds. Thomas Short from Exeter finished first on his KTM SMR machine in a time of 27:36.

Incidentally, the course record for the 500cc category is 25.28 seconds set by Marr Winstanley in 2011.

Seven times TT winner Mick Grant, who won on every Japanese motorbike manufacturer, as well as Triumph, Norton and Velocette was invited to the event as the special guest.

Over four years on a Kawasaki motorbike, he won the Grand Prix on the 250cc machine, North West 200, as well as the Senior TT on the 500cc bike and the British Superbike Championship on the mighty 750cc Triple.

John McGuiness (MBE) also decided to make a last-minute appearance fresh from another successful TT victory. McGuiness holds 23 titles for the Isle of Man TT and is third in the all-time win list.

In a statement, The Westmorland Motor Club thanked the landowner, farmer, club members and sponsors for making the day such a successful event.

The Barbon Hillclimb for motorcars took place in similarly rainy conditions on July 15.