LOCAL drivers hit top gear as they enjoyed a fruitful weekend in South Devon at the Nicholson McLaren British Hillclimb Championships.

Sharing the driving duties with his father Graham in their Westfield SEi sports car, Geoff Blake of Weymouth took an emphatic victory over the rapid Neal Coles in his Yamaha R1 powered Sylva Riot R1.

The Plymouth driver held the advantage throughout the practice runs but the following day, in the competition proper, the carpenter spun off the track.

Coles fought back on the second competitive run but it was not enough to prevent Geoff securing the class victory.

Other Weymouth drivers to perform well included Michael Willgoss, who returned home with a first-place trophy in the Modified Specialist Production Car category, and Honda Integra Type R driver Lee Orridge, who bagged third place in the Road Going Production Car class on his first visit to Wiscombe Park.

Honours in the large engine capacity Sports Libre class went to Rodney Thorne from Frampton, near Dorchester, in his five-litre Rover V8 powered Pilbeam MP43 sports racer.

Fellow villager Colin Pook was denied second place by the four-wheel drive Ford Puma of Mike Manning.

Thorne was the only driver in the class to break 40-seconds with a climb of 39.39 seconds, while his wife Hayley, driving a 1800cc Westfield SEi took third place in the Road Going Specialist Production Car class.