ONE of Britain's oldest motoring institutions, the Westmorland Motor Club, is the organising body for this Saturday's Barbon Sprint Hill Climb for cars.

Founded in 1910, the WMC has a proud history of motor sport in the county catering for two, three and four-wheeled competition and Saturday's event is the club's biggest meeting of the season.

Run on a private track - the driveway to Barbon Manor - this speed event is part of the National Hillclimb Championship and, as such, attracts the country's top drivers in this highly specialised sport.

More than 70 entries have been accepted and machinery ranges from a Broughton in Furness driver's 1932 3.9 litre Chapman Mercury to the very latest 2003 Gould single-seater racing cars of the top-runners.

Quicker off the mark than a Formula 1 grand-prix car, the modern hill-climb cars are designed for explosive acceleration and responsive handling over a tight course with hairpin bends and bumpy surfaces.

Top speeds at Barbon are around 120mph which are measured by a speed-trap just 100 yards or so before the top hairpin bend, and all this on a roadway that is just between nine and 12 feet wide!

Competitors start from rest, one at a time, and start the clock by breaking a light-beam on the start line, stopping the clock once they cross the finishing line at the top of the hill. The elapsed time is recorded to two decimal places and, the winner is the one recording the shortest time either overall, or in his/her class.

There are 16 classes of vehicle running, determined by engine size and body-type and there is plenty of opportunity to get a close look at them in the paddock area when not on the hill.

Each competitor will complete two timed practice runs in the morning and then two timed competitive runs in the afternoon. In addition, the fastest 12 drivers from the championship will have a further two runs.

Colin Hilton, chief executive of Britain's governing body of Motorsport, the MSA, has agreed to present the awards.

* To get to Barbon, take the A65 to Kirkby Lonsdale and, at Devil's Bridge, take the A683 towards Sedbergh, following the blue signs into Barbon village and on to the spectator parking. Entrance costs £7 for adults with Under 15's free. Practice starts at 9:30am and the main event at 2pm. Dogs will not be admitted.