Twice RAC British Hill Climb Champion Chris Cramer, will return to the Prescott Speed Hillclimb on Saturday, July 14 to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the venue’s sporting heritage.

Cramer whose exploits among Britain’s hill climbing fraternity began in 1969 with a hot Mini Cooper S with which he won the ‘Prescott Gold Cup’ and set 27 national class records. In 1972 a 1293cc engined Mallock Mk 11B followed enabling the young racer to climb closer to the top ten shootouts, setting the fastest time by a sports racing car at the demanding Bouley Bay hillclimb in Jersey.

His performance in this car attracted the attention of the late Hon. Edward Greenall whose company’s sponsorship enabled Cramer to join the elite single seat class in 1973 with a March 723-2litre Hart which became the “Grünhalle Lager Special”. As a rooky he established new outright course records at Val Des Terres Guernsey and Great Auclum hillclimbs.

In 1974 he took the first of four third places followed by two runner up spots in the British Hillclimb Championship until taking the top place in 1980 driving a March 782-Hart setting outright course records at eight out of ten venues in the championship, including Prescott.

Driving Jimmy Jack’s Toleman he introduced “Ground Effect Cars” to speed hillclimbing and successfully developed this into a winning car, setting a new sub 50 second outright course record at the Ulster Automobile Clubs Craigantlet Speed Hillclimb in 1982.

After a break from the sport he returned in 1985 driving the new Gould 84G-Hart, and proceeded to win the British Hillclimb Championship with this car in its debut season, the designer/driver David Gould receiving the “John Bolster Trophy” awarded for a unique Shelsley Special.

In between Cramer had many FTDs (Fastest Time of the Day), a number of other major awards and was voted “British Club Driver of the Year” at the 1985 Autosport Awards, ahead of such luminaries as Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert and Mark Blundell.

Cramer said: “I enjoyed a successful career in this most friendly branch of motor sport, but, as is always the case, one needs the support of some of the most creative and inventive motoring designers.

“ I was privileged to have met and worked with Rory Byrne, the late Brian Hart, Robin Herd, David Gould and the late Harvey Postlethwaite” he continued. “Also, I cannot forget the wonderful sponsors without whom I would have been unable to drive such outstanding cars. Of particular note are the late Hon. Edward Greenall and Jimmy Jack – all of them enthusiasts to the core and generous to a fault.”

Alongside his work as an architect Cramer has spent many years successfully mentoring/coaching young drivers, notably triple World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx, himself a British Hill Climb Champion, as well as his sons Marc and Eric Cramer.

Nevertheless, it will be the first time that Cramer has stepped into the cockpit of a hill climb car at Prescott for over 30 years, so it will be a case of winding back time and enjoying the ride.

“I have no intention of doing anything heroic” insisted Cramer, “ but I am grateful to Gould-Racing and the Bugatti Owners’ Club for giving me this wonderful opportunity to roll back the years.”