In the United States, hill climbs have a long tradition stretching back to the early days of motoring competition.
Some are in the European-style and take place on long mountain courses, and in many cases spectators are either banned or heavily restricted for safety or insurance reasons.
The hill climb has been run by such famous drivers as Carroll Shelby, Briggs Cunningham, René Dreyfus, John Fitch and Miles Collier to name just a few.
The first event in 1950 was won by Bill Milliken driving a FWD Miller, on a 6.25 mile shale road, in a time of 6 minutes, 59.4 sec, (54.2 m.p.h.
On June 26, 1966, Allen Grant, driving an A.C. Shelby Cobra, won the ninth annual Georgetown Divide hillclimb.
Chimney Rock Hill Climb, North Carolina, 1956-1995: "The first races were 2.7 miles, had 18 turns, and one mandatory stop approximately halfway up.
[59] Giants Despair Hillclimb is held just outside Wilkes-Barre, PA, in Laurel Run Borough on East Northampton St.
In its early years, all of the world’s major manufacturers sent their top cars and drivers to capture honors at the event.
Early notables included Ralph DePalma (Fiat Team) and Louis Chevrolet driving for Buick.
Rejuvenated in 1951, the list of Who’s Who in the driving world included Carroll Shelby,[60] first driver to break the magic minute, Roger Penske and Oscar Koveleski.
The hill starts out with a long gently rising straight about one quarter mile in length that leads into a fast left-hander that tests both nerves and skill.
The scenic route on the hill overlooking Reading, Pennsylvania hosts two events on the same stretch of road, the Pagoda and Duryea Hillclimbs.
Named for the obscure automobile maker and following the same route that Charles Duryea used to test his cars, this is a 2.3-mile (3.7 km) hill located in a beautiful city park in downtown Reading.
Possibly the most diverse and challenging hill in the Northeast, Duryea boasts 11 turns (most of which are negotiated in the first half of the course) coupled with some high (140 mph+) speeds at the top.
The start and finish line was moved in 2011 to accommodate and larger pit area like the drivers enjoy at the Duryea event.
Leaving the start line you get up to speed very quickly as there is only a slight elevation change on the bottom portion of the hill.
From this point the rest of the hill consists of a short straight leading to a long sweeping turn to the finish that tests your tires grip on the road as well as your nerve.
[64] The groups sponsor a series of hill climbing events on paved mountain access roads in Vermont using common rules under the New England Hillclimb Association (NEHA).
[65] These events are staggered start, timed trials and club members as well as novices are welcome to participate provided their car passes a technical inspection and the driver meets the guidelines.
In addition to numerous other safety measures, the driver must be over 18 years old, drive with a Snell® approved helmet, and have a 2.5 lb ABC fire extinguisher in his vehicle.
If a racer exceeds the breakout time more than once, they are required to have a roll cage in their car, and must wear a fire suit and neck protection device.
[67] First Place in the 1961 contest went to Chuck Frederick of Golden, Colo., driving a Corvette up the winding course at better than a mile a minute; time, 4:39.
First Place in the 1962 contest went to Gene Mitchell of Billings, Mont., driving a Corvette over the dangerous five-mile course in 4:51.7 averaging 61.7 mph.
The 1961 and 1962 information is from the 1963 Ten Sleep Canyon Sports Car Hill Climb program, inside front cover.
On August 15, 1965, Phillip Lyman, of Ten Sleep, Wyoming, won the fifth annual TenSleep Canyon hillclimb, driving a Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray, in a time of 4:48.1 sec.