THE STIG, TV’s best-known man of motorsport mystery, was a recent visitor to the Harewood Speed Hillclimb course.

The silent figure in white spent the day hurtling up the hillclimb track in the hottest new hatchbacks from Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Ford, Renault, Seat, Subaru and VW, providing the ultimate 11-car test on Harewood’s demanding, eight-corner course.

Top Gear Magazine, which organised the event, chose Harewood because “it’s a fine replication of a typical B-road blast, but with nobody coming the other way, which is a good thing.”

Although not the fastest of the bunch (this honour being claimed by the fearsome 395bhp Impreza Cosworth), the RenaultSport Clio 200 Cup was judged to be the best all-rounder of the group.

No-one seemed certain how The Stig had travelled to Harewood. Some say he arrived in a flurry of mosquitoes and appeared to be dropping iron filings, others mentioned a blinding light and the pungent aroma of burnt candy floss.

All we know is that the UK’s longest permanent hillclimb course is unlikely to see 11 very different fast cars being driven with such metronomic consistency ever again – and on that bombshell you’ll probably want to read the full story.

Fortunately a 12-page Harewood report is in the current edition of Top Gear Magazine, and videos of the The Stig’s precision attacks on the hill can be seen on www.topgear.com.

Full dates and details of Harewood Speed Hillclimb’s 2010 series of events, which are held monthly until September, can be found at www.harewoodhill.com.

The next event is the British Championship Meeting, on Sunday, with spectator entrance just £10 per person.

Harewood Speed Hillclimb, off the A659 between Harewood and Collingham is a great motorsports day out in surroundings so stunning that they left The Stig speechless!

* Horsforth Motor Club’s Motorcycle Trial at Stump Cross, Greenhow, on Sunday consisted of five short laps and eight sections, which was enough for 26 competitors in the searing heat.

With a double world trial in the Highlands and another club running an event at Brimham Rocks, entries were predictably down on the normal masses that contest the Knox Series.

Results – Novice: Paul Kettlewell (Sherco) 9. Over-40s: Steven Fowler (Gas Gas) 5. Youth A: Sam Boocock (Gas Gas) 6. Green course – Novices: 1 Nick Hughes (Beta) 26, 2 Gary Cossey (Beta) 36, 3 Adrian Hanson (Gas Gas) 55. Green course – Over-40s: 1 Rob Hardisty (Beta) 6, 2 Michael Platts (Sherco) 9, 3 Howard Gulley (Gas Gas) 11. Easy course – Over-40s: 1, Graham Gadsby (Montesa) 15, 2 Mick Kettlewell (Beta)18, 3 Mark Blaymires (Sherco) 20. Easy course – Youth A: Daniel Carter (Beta) 72. Youth B: Thomas Geldart (Sherco) 101. Youth C: Kieran Child (Beta) 59.