I just heard the Hershey hill climb event in Pa. has officially ended. The Mt Washington hill climb ended several years ago. The Vt. hill climb series still exist but the car counts have not been large. Pikes Peak still gets press but the full Mt Washington hill climb made Pikes Peak look tame. Rally entry cost are extreme but hill climbs were always affordable. When my 2003 Evo 8 was new I ran it at Burke Mt in Vt. Loss it sideways over a blind crest at 100mph and drove away with a few beauty marks. Burke and Okemo are the bravest drives you will ever try!

 

Yup its sad to see Hershey go. It might be more if things don't change! I'm not sure if people realize the amazing history hillclimbs have on the east coast. Pikes peak gets all the publicity but the eastern hillclimbs have the roots type racing going on. And some for over 100 years! We have been struggling to get racers to run the PA hillcimb series as it is. I hope some of you will consider giving it a go on the hills. Here is a link, if you have any questions let me kno.

http://www.pahillclimb.org/

Oh and i've been meaning to hit those New england hillcimbs here soon. I'm going to try and do the wolf ridge hillclimb in NC if i can this year.

 

I'm the event manager for a small hillclimb that takes place in Minnesota every year. Mostly vintage cars, but I let a few moderns in too. PM me if you're interested.

 

I sorely miss the hill climb events that I grew up with in New england. Out here on the west coast, there isn't much depsite the mountains...

There are a handful of events in Idaho and montana (I think) and another small event in northwest CA, the hoopa hill climb.

It would be nice to have more events, hill climb events are older than the indianapolis 500 and le Mans, and have been a stable of autoracing ever since a pair of good 'ole boys decided to see whos car is faster...

 

it is a shame that hill climbs are dying. I used to watch my dad hill climb around PA when I was a kid. He used to run at the Pagota in Reading, Giant's despair (don't remember where that was) and a few others. it is one of the craziest forms of racing but it must be a huge rush when you're doing it

 

The pic in my sig is me passing the Pagoda. And Giants Despair is over 100 years old, T\there was a story in the news paper from long ago that stated 100,000 people came to spectate back in the day. We get a decent crowd still but not like that!.

 

any hill climbs in the CT region?

 

Mt Washington will probably be back in 2011. That's what I've heard. I think that the NE series will be stronger than ever this year. We've had tons of interest in it. We did a series of introduction courses at our shop over the winter and at the last one 70 people who wanted to participate came to the workshop.

NE series has a new forum for those interested.

www.hillclimb.org

Burke BOLTON (see edit) hasn't been around for a few years because of the condos on the access road. The other mountains are going strong and there's even an introduction of Rally Moto this year. Last year it was a trial event.

EDIT...

I said Burke but I meant Bolton! Sorry..



Alex

 

I did all the races last year in VT. Including Burke which is up for two events again this year. Last years car counts were actually pretty good. Some events more then others. I think the smallest it got was about 25 cars. Average was about 30 or so. They just posted all the event dates up for this season. You should check it out for sure.

 

Come out and support PPIHC if you can. Its only going to have some dirt on it for another couple years. Car counts are down from a few years ago, but its really a great event.

Hmmm....Mt. Washington in 2011? Might have to make a trip back home (grew up outside Boston) with the rally car for that!

edit: forgot to mention that Colorado also has the Colorado Hill Climb Assn (www.chcaracing.com) that's got a very healthy series, running between 4-6 all dirt events every summer.

Dave

 

If there was one event that I could do that would be it. If I only had the money!

Dave, where did you grow up? I grew up in Newton, live next door to there now.

 

I grew up in Lexington and moved out to Colorado Springs for college. Had views of PP from the dorms...hard not to get drawn in with that looming out your window.

Dave

 

Bring there it was probably that or cycling.

 

I've been to Hershey a few times to spectate... sorry to hear it's gone away.