Nov 13-15 My hotham will host a climb event Longer than pikes peak 241 bends This will be awesome to watch
Well I didn't see that coming... Hopefully there are some good spectator areas setup. Would be awesome fun to do, http://www.mthotham.com.au/all-about-hotham/latest-news/MTH_News_27-March-15_20672.asp Hotham set for alpine hillclimb and tarmac rally in 2015 This November Mount Hotham and the surrounding Alpine & Gippsland Shires in North Eastern Victoria will host two brand new motorsport events: The world's longest hillclimb and Australia’s first all-new major tarmac rally in five years. Motorsport promoter Auto Corsa Group has worked with the Mount Hotham Alpine Resort Management Board to stage the events that will run concurrently over the weekend of 13-15 November 2015. Auto Corsa Group Co-director, Stuart Benson, said the 29km Alpine Cup International Hillclimb would significantly outdistance the famed Pikes Peak event in the US, which at 19km is currently the world’s longest. "We wanted to offer something really special,” said the former Targa Tasmania designer and event director. “Provide an experience that would be a true test of man and machine like no other.” The 241-corner tarmac trek has an elevation gain of around 1300 metres finishing at the summit of Mount Hotham, 1837 metres above sea level. Each driver will contest the course six times over the two days, totalling 171 competitive kilometres. Mr Benson said the event had already received a high level of interest from a number of international competitors and local manufacturers. An 11-stage tarmac rally comprising 250 competitive kilometres, will be held over the same weekend based at Mount Hotham taking in Falls Creek and closed roads around nearby towns including Harrietville, Mount Beauty and Omeo. The Hotham Auto Corsa Alpine Tarmac Rally is expected to attract a field of some 200 cars with multiple Australian Rally Champion Simon Evans already signed on for the challenge. "The roads of Hotham are one of Australia's best kept secrets," said Evans. "These events will include some of the most technical and challenging tarmac roads I've ever driven over and the scenery is just incredible.” Both events also will take in a stretch of the 300km Great Alpine Road, Australia's highest sealed through-road between Wangaratta and Bairnsdale. Newly appointed Mt Hotham CEO, Jonathan Hutchins claims the event will highlight the Great Alpine Road as a year round touring destination. ”The natural vistas and sealed condition of the Great Alpine Road give it the potential to rival and even surpass Victoria’s other iconic travel route the Great Ocean Road. As a year round destination the North East of Victoria offers excitement and natural attractions for both domestic and international visitors.” Chair of the Mount Hotham Alpine Resort Management Board, Deborah Spring, said motorsport was a great fit for Hotham – a destination that attracts more than 122,000 adrenalin-seeking skiers each year. Mt Hotham is one of only three Ski Resorts in the world that is built the top of the mountain and provides a very unique atmosphere for showcasing this style of event. "As much as our visitors enjoying skiing Hotham's challenging slopes, the competitors of these events will love driving our roads. “Importantly, there will also be some fantastic spots along each course for spectators to get close to the action.” Ms Spring said the events would stimulate economic growth to the region to the tune of 5,000 additional bed stays during the green season. "This is an exciting opportunity for our community to really take ownership of these events, which I am told are a much-welcomed addition to the Australian motor sport calendar." This is the first time the Great Alpine Road, considered by many as one of the best driving roads in the southern hemisphere, has been closed specifically for an event of this type. - See more at: http://www.mthotham.com.au/all-abou...ws_27-March-15_20672.asp#sthash.S9TBWhJL.dpuf
Will be quite an event. Guessing my best time will be broken. Mind you mine was open road, not closed. Good trip , no traffic - 0:31.
This is IMO a great initiative. Should be spectacular and could become a major event on the racing calendar. My best time is potentially self-incriminating, but I reckon if you had the road to yourself w no oncoming traffic (or cyclists), an inappropriately overpowered car could do it under 15 mins if dry.
At 80km/h (and a couple of 40 km/h zones), claiming much under 30 mins is self-incriminatory. From CRB corner though down to the chain fitting bay and then all the way up to to Rene's, you "could" reach tremendous speeds well inxs of anything legal. Also, the bush fires have vastly improved visibility around successive corners.
My crazy mate (ex champion car racer) has done it in around 15 minutes in a V6 Alfa in winter at night. The passenger in the car still has his finger prints indented in the dash and claims that the car was on 2 wheels most of the winding bits.
This was a fair few years ago. Can't remember whether the speed limits were the same, no entry office over summer either. That said, I can't guarantee I didn't perhaps just a tiny bit go a little faster than the law man may or may not allow
It's a pretty safe bet going a 'little' over on the way up. These days I'm most concerned about bicycles. Always challenging to slow down to 40 in the village if you've been fanging it. But I've passed police w radar and/or breathalyzers in the village plenty times in winter.
Hmm, I've been on some hot laps on the way up until the dreaded.... "Daddy my tummy hurts", then reality sets in. Mind you driving up in Mums taxi is a bit different to driving up in a Rex, Alfa, hot mini or any other exotic. During daylight hrs and even at dusk, I'm always looking out for Cyclists on this road now. I've even seen riders in winter.
Where do we think the best vantage spot would be for this event? I was having a good old go on the bike one time when a HSV came around a bend very nicely sideways in the opposite direction, I think he was going much quicker than me!
Bottom of the Meg maybe? While I'm familiar with most of the bends on the road up to Hotham, I can't for the life of me remember the name of most of them. Better vantage point would be around CRB maintenance shed? It's 10km's from the Hotham car park and allows for a much longer view up and down the road.
Yeah some of the high points above the tree line give good views of the road in both directions....and offer the opportunity to walk the old road to another spot. Might pencil this in the diary, should be good viewing not to mention the sound track.
Admittedly the road is far too dangerous these days with an increase in traffic. Would be a spectacular annual event.
Mine was August, mostly dry but iffy past Blowhard in shaded corners. Enough for a cautionary approach.
lets just say f2,Bathurst,le mans. would have done the drive at least a dozen times with me and always responsible. that night the conditions were just right and he just decided to open up.i don't think the passenger will go again.it wasn't timed and I wasn't there.
Good guess, but not Larry Perkins nor does he have the legendary status as Perkins. Sorry i wont disclose his name but if he decides to do the race up mt. Hotham he will be capable of getting in the top few.
Good to see some Buller vs Hotham rivalry happening! Targa High Country runs the weekend before this event, including a 16km run up the Buller road.
And Buller are not happy. A bit selfish really. Great oppertunity for a big event. May as well give the drivers more than 1 hill to climb. Even though the Hotham road isn't a constant climb.
Baw Baw has had a tarmac rally for the last 3 or 4 years This year's was back in February Highlight for me was scamming a lift in one of the competitor's cars He hit 144 kmh at one stage (when I was game to look at the speedo) on the uphill leg, 11 1/2 minutes from Tanjil Bren to Baw Baw Village, lots of sideways action on some of the hairpins, very capable driver.
Where are people measuring from and too? Ive always thought the time was from gate to skiers bridge. I'd agree that a time sub 15 mins would be possible - a couple of blokes I know did it comfortably under 20 mins on an open and damp road. Both were in lotus 7 clones, one of which had done Targa Tas, the other which has seen quite a bit of track time. My slowest time is over 90 minutes, I had a mate walking in front of the car with a torch to try and find the road at one point... Slush
Best view = Youtube dashcam footage. But seriously that would be a great event to be involved in, only wish I had a car and the appropriate track time to do it. Buller would be pi$$ed off, the Hotham road so much more exciting.
http://www.mthotham.com.au/all-about-hotham/latest-news/MTH_News_20-October-15_22596.asp Postponed to 2016.
Oh well, the Baw Baw Sprint is on again this year Feb 20 & 21 Lots of sporty looking machines racing from Tanjil Bren to the Village
I've just watched a doco on the Pikes Peak race....... With all due respect to the folk at Hotham, you might as well compare driving from Melbourne to Sydney up the Hume Highway, that's even longer!
I've never raced the Hotham road, so hard for me to really compare. However, the Mt Buller road which they race on compares pretty closely to Pike's Peak. Very similar in terms of length, elevation and the number of corners. These days Pike's peak is all tarmac as well. One main difference is PP is at a much higher altitude, which is harder to tune the cars for. Also, there is more of PP above the tree line, making for some spectacular looking drop offs. However, the big trees close to the road at Buller are probably just as dangerous as the drops offs.
Race to the Sky up to Snow Farm in the Cardrona Valley is more spectacular than Pikes Peak I reckon Back this year after a 7 year hiatus - not sure if the years off were due to Possum Bourne's death
i would say that the Hotham climb is considerably more spectacular with top section above tree line and longer than buller so i would guess is closer to the pikes peak.
This. Hotham Road much more speccy, why they make so many car adds on it. Buller just a windy road through mountain ash. Hotham Biggest vertical climb in Oz, highest road in Oz in winter. Pikes Peak 20km 1440m vert Hotham 27km 1350m vert to the Cross Hope they get their stuff together for next year! Was looking forward to it.
the top section of Hotham is certainly more spectacular, and potentially more dangerous. I think much of the road between the meg and the (defunct) ticket box is not particularly great. Buffalo would be quite good too IMHO.
Yup, Buffalo more speccy than Buller. And, ya, if you go off the road above the tree line at Hotahm, you won't stop.
In fact owing to the shape of our old mountains, most of the hairpins up Hotham are down lower. Which makes for some very fast speeds up high.
And forgive me but i find this image more speccy than the one above. If you come off the road here at 120km/h, it'll be your last turn.
