Stephen storms to top of the hill

Stephen storms to top of the hill

7 December 2016

A DOWNPATRICK motorsport enthusiast has been crowned Northern Ireland Historic Hill Climb champion.

Fifty-four year-old Stephen Strain from Woodgrange recently pipped a star-studded field to the coveted title after six months of fierce Association of Northern Ireland Car Club competition.

Hillclimbing — also known as speed hill climbing — is a branch of motorsport in which drivers compete against the clock to complete an uphill course.

It is one of the oldest forms of motorsport and entails getting from point A to point B, roughly a mile away, in the fastest possible time.

Stephen has been racing competitively for two years and has taken to the sport like a duck to water in his Mark 1 Escort.

“I just love the thrill of it and the craic,” he said. “My dad Frank first got me interested in the sport years ago when he took me to Annadorn to see Roger Clarke and Paddy Hopkirk in action in the Circuit of Ireland and I have been interested ever since.

“Of course, there is an element of danger to it, but there is in every sport.”

He should now, given that he missed quite a bit of the 2015 season through injury.

He broke four ribs and had injuries to his back, neck and stomach following a crash while competing on the Antrim Coast.

“I was travelling brave and fast and went through a fence, but the sport is no more dangerous than any other,” he said.

“This was the worst accident I ever had, but I missed racing when I was out recovering and couldn’t wait to get going again.

“I always fancied doing a bit of rallying, just like my cousins, but the frantic nature of hill climbing suits me and the car best. It is your foot to the board all the way 

and you don’t have any fear for that couple of minutes.

“If you have too much time to think about it, then you could get negative thoughts, but there is no better feeling than an adrenaline rush when you get to the top of the hill.”

Stephen, who also does a fair bit of the maintenance on his trusted Escort, started out in ANICC sprint races four years before turning to hill climbing and hasn’t looked back.

“There is tough competition everywhere we race,” he said. Every driver wants to win. It can be tough going, but being crowned Northern Ireland champion certainly makes all the effort worthwhile.”