Damon Hill came to professional motorsports relatively late: he began racing motorcycles in 1983 at the age of 23. The following year, he won the 350 cc Clubman's cup at Brands Hatch. In 1985, he moved on to four-wheel single-seater racing with Team Van Diemen in the Formula Ford championship, before moving up into the UK Formula 3 championship in 1986. After three seasons in Formula 3, where he won four races, Hill ascended another tier of open-wheel racing by joining Mooncraft in the International Formula 3000 championship, where, although often competitive, he never won a race. 