THE Midland Automobile Club's decision to resurface the world-famous Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb track paid off as records tumbled on a thrilling day of racing.

Nine class records fell in total with the outright course record going five times at the 102-year-old Worcestershire course.

Joint MSA British Hill Climb Championship leader Scott Moran eventually prised the record away from holder Martin Groves as the pair battled it out in rounds 11 and 12.

During one 60-minute spell, the record twice went twice in two minutes.

Moran captured the record but lost it to Groves before regaining it.

However, Moran's time was then surpassed by Groves but Moran finally snatched it back in the penultimate run.

The record went from 23.75 seconds at the start of proceedings to 23.71, 23.40, 23.36, 22.86 and finally to 22.83.

The super surface, laid by Bardon Contractors in April bore everything that was thrown at it.

As a large crowd looked on, Moran came of age in hill climb terms by fighting off the superb Groves so many times.

When asked how he sustained his effort, he said: "Each time I knew I had to try that little bit harder."

Elsewhere, Hereford's Sue Young lowered her Ladies record twice in the day.

The oldest Shelsley record of all - the closed car, last set in June 1992 - fell to Mike Endean, boss of MSA British Hill Climb Championship sponsor Nicholson McLaren.

Endean was driving his carbon fibre four-wheel drive Ford Puma that was custom-built by multiple hill climb championship car constructors Gould Racing of Newbury.

The biggest record-grabbing margin saw Roger Banks knock 2.02secs off the unlimited modified production saloon car class time in his 4.2-litre twin turbo four-wheel drive Audi A4 Quattro.