124 replies to this topic

[terry mcgrath]

 I am trying to identify which US hill-climb venue this pic was taken at.

Even though a RHD XK120 it is definitely the USA.

Due to the hopeless system of trying to post pics on this forum and how many photos have disappeared from the forum due to changes in other photo sharing sites 
I have posted the pic on our local jaguar club page.

 

Please photo at:

 

https://www.facebook...&type=1

[275 GTB-4]

Terry, the part of a bridge or coal loader etc you can see at the top of the image has to be a dead giveaway for one of our US colleagues
 
[Edit: this may be of assistance http://en.wikipedia....e_United_States]

Edited by 275 GTB-4, 08 February 2015 - 05:36.

[Catalina Park]

For those without facebook....

Edited by Catalina Park, 18 August 2021 - 07:11.

[terry mcgrath]

mick thanks for the link to the wikipedia site an amazing amount of info there.

and thanks to Catalina Park for posting photo.

If this site sorted it self out readers should should be able to post straight to this site in a simple manner and going through some of the old threads its amazing how many photos have gone which defeats the purpose of the site

terry

[Rupertlt1]

Terry, Thanks for the compliment re Wikipedia - I wrote most of it!

Can you say what it says on the sign? This can be most revealing.

I identified pictures of Mt Equinox in Vermont by a sign pointing to a Carthusian Monastery, which turned out to be the only one in the USA.

I've flagged a lot of Jaguars at Revs so your task should be getting easier.

The coal clue points to Pennsylvania - time to consult Ron Mann.

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 08 February 2015 - 14:33.

[terry mcgrath]

Thanks for the post on this and link to Cobb mountain.

Unfortunately I don't have a better copy so can't read the sign.

I am sure someone will recognize the hill

terry

[Rupertlt1]

I wish I shared your confidence!

Can you say how you know the photograph was taken in the US? Where did you get it? What year is the car?

BTW the Wikipedia article is by no means comprehensive - I stopped contributing when they started running interference.

I am aware of many other venues not listed there.

It may help to rule out some venues - it is not Giants Despair or Holland Hill Climb.

Other thoughts - is it a ski resort at the top? A mine, but not coal?

RGDS RLT

[Ray Bell]

It could also be a pedestrian bridge to a lookout...

Lots of things it could be.

[terry mcgrath]

OK the venue is "Grandfather Mountain" North Carolina but I have never come across this name as a hill-climb venue?

________________________________________________________

• Grandfather Mountain

  Mountain in North Carolina
• Grandfather Mountain is a mountain, a non-profit attraction, and a North Carolina state park near Linville, North Carolina. Wikipedia
•  
•  
• Elevation: 1,812 m
• Prominence: 745 m
• First ascender: André Michaux
• Mountain range: Appalachian Mountains, Blue Ridge Mountains

  ______________________________________________________________________________

[Ray Bell]

And the pedestrian bridge...



Strangely, I couldn't get Google Earth to come up with the road.

[Rupertlt1]

This is likely, Chimney Rock:

 

 

http://news.google.c...J&pg=4071,89156

 

RGDS RLT

[Ray Bell]

But that bridge is at Grandfather Mountain...

A hundred miles or more from Chimney Rock.

[Rupertlt1]

Correct.

 

Event: Grandfather's Mountain Hill Climb, North Carolina, SCCA, 3 June 1956

 

1958: http://news.google.c...pg=4914,1356347

 

Therefore first event 1954.

 

http://www.ncrscca.c...-scca-region-55

 

http://www.conceptca...is-Special.aspx

 

http://dc.lib.unc.ed...sc/cosuppress/0

 

http://search.lib.vi...uva-lib:2238595

 

Sign says: Low Gear, Maintain speed

 

http://www.ccrscca.c...agon-hillclimb/

Terry Houser Says: 

June 8th, 2011 at 4:44 pm

"I ran the Chimney Rock Hillclimb in 84, 85, 86 & Grandfather Mountain 85 & 86 and I am really looking forward to being at the first Robbinsville Hillclimb but unfortunately as a spectator. Hope to see some old friends."

 

Note also: Pilot Mountain Hill Climb

 

Terry McGrath says he is now looking for entry lists.

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 10 February 2015 - 12:36.

[Ray Bell]

That last link has some great photos...

Thanks for that, Rupert.

[Sisyphus]

That turn really looks like a view I've seen before from the Pike's Peak hill climb.  Could that be a possibility?

 

Unfortunately, I don't have a link to any Pike's Peak photos but others undoubtably do.

[Rupertlt1]

That turn really looks like a view I've seen before from the Pike's Peak hill climb.  Could that be a possibility?

 

Unfortunately, I don't have a link to any Pike's Peak photos but others undoubtably do.

 

We have already solved this question - the picture is not at Pikes Peak. RGDS RLT

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Rupertlt1
We have already solved this question - the picture is not at Pikes Peak.

"We," paleface?

It seems to me that Terry came up with the result on his own, we have merely embellished it all with some more information.

Also, the link I mentioned as having good pics, that is now not the last pic as you have edited in another. It's the one that begins, "http://search.lib..."

[Rupertlt1]

Can you say how you know the photograph was taken in the US? Where did you get it? What year is the car?

 

 

Not so, he found the location, I found the event - actually I asked him the questions that unlocked the door - see above. We have also been emailing on the back channel, which you couldn't know about. RGDS RLT

[Ray Bell]

I did, however, suspect that was the case...

Good job, this is a very interesting thread and I hope more comes from it.

[Rupertlt1]

Event: Grandfather's Mountain Hill Climb, North Carolina, SCCA, 3 June 1956

 

The first evidence that this event existed came from SCCA Newsletter, May 31, 1956. (Not online - I was looking through them in the small hours.)

Then of course we were off to the races! RGDS RLT 

[fbarrett]

Given the geology and the narrow road, as well as the structure, I don't think this is Pikes Peak.

 

Frank

(in Colorado)

[terry mcgrath]

There is some good info here. Has anyone got lists of entrants from these early event c1953 to say 1960

Event: Grandfather's Mountain Hill Climb, North Carolina, SCCA, 3 June 1956

 

1958: http://news.google.c...pg=4914,1356347

 

Therefore first event 1954.

 

http://www.ncrscca.c...-scca-region-55

 

http://www.conceptca...is-Special.aspx

 

http://dc.lib.unc.ed...sc/cosuppress/0

 

http://search.lib.vi...uva-lib:2238595

 

Sign says: Low Gear, Maintain speed

 

http://www.ccrscca.c...agon-hillclimb/

Terry Houser Says: 

June 8th, 2011 at 4:44 pm

"I ran the Chimney Rock Hillclimb in 84, 85, 86 & Grandfather Mountain 85 & 86 and I am really looking forward to being at the first Robbinsville Hillclimb but unfortunately as a spectator. Hope to see some old friends."

[Rupertlt1]

Grandfather Mountain Hill Climb

Event date: 21 June 1953

The Burlington (N.C.) Daily Times-News, Monday, June 22, 1953

Local Drivers

Win Honors

In Contest

Three Burlington drivers won

honors in the "hill climb contest"

conducted by the Sports Car Club

of North Carolina at Grandfather

Mountain near Linville yesterday.

Top honors for the two and one-

half mile run up Grandfather

Mountain in the Class 1, six cylin-

der division went to Stanley Hunley

of Burlington, who drove his Ja-

guar over the course in a record

time of four minutes and 50

seconds.

Pete Mann of Greensboro, driv-

ing an American-made Nash Hea-

ley, placed second with a time of

five minutes.

In the Class 1 MG division, a

tie for first place occurred between

Tommy Way of Burlington and

Howard Kern of Greensboro with

times of five minutes and 15

seconds.

Homer Hunley of Burlington

placed second with a time of five

minutes and 45 seconds.

The one-hour "hill climb test"

began at 7 a.m. The starting point

was the Grandfather Mountain en-

trance on Highway 221 just off the

Blue Ridge Parkway. The finish

line was the Convention Table Rock

parking area at the top of the

mountain.

END

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 14 February 2018 - 21:28.

[Catalina Park]

Glad this came up again, in another part of the world someone posted this photo from Grandfather Hillclimb and the subject was 'what the heck is the car on the bottom left'...

http://dc.lib.unc.ed.../id/4099/rec/17

[group7]

Nash-Healey ? in Catalina Park's link above.

 

edit: Austin Somerset in the sides, the instrument cluster seems close ? maybe modified after a crash ? I don't think it's American.

Edited by group7, 15 February 2018 - 20:44.

[Jack-the-Lad]

Kindly excuse my briefly taking this thread off topic.....Does anyone know of a source that lists all currently active hillclimb venues and events in the U.S.?

Many thanks.

[Rupertlt1]

Not off topic given the thread title. I'm not sure such a list exists - hillclimbing has no real national following. If you want to go to events Pennsylvania (PHA) and New England are hotspots (vintage events at the latter). Pikes Peak of course, Maryhill Loops in Washington State clings on. Hot Rod Hill Climb in Colorado? RGDS RLT 

[DCapps]

Kindly excuse my briefly taking this thread off topic.....Does anyone know of a source that lists all currently active hillclimb venues and events in the U.S.?

Many thanks.

 

Veering off topic: not a clue regarding current, active hill climb venues in the US, but this form of motor sport was quite popular in the USA until the early 'teens of the past century. I never bothered to separate them out from the other automotive contests, but hill climbs were pretty commonplace for years on the US scene and some were even considered major events during the season.

[Jack-the-Lad]

Thank you, Rupert and Don. Is there a national club or organizing body in the U.S.?

I really enjoy hill climbing and would like to see as many events as possible before the genre becomes extinct, thus my request above. I've driven up Chimney Rock and Prescott.....a real thrill allowed by an understanding grounds keeper .... but only in touring mode.

.

[Rupertlt1]

AFAIK the answer is no. In the east I would recommend Giants Despair at Wilkes-Barre, PA.

I was there in 2012:

 

http://punchbuggy.bl...ames-giant.html

 

Marvelous run-what-ya-brung atmosphere, friendly folks.

 

Nobody else is chiming in about other events? There must be more?

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 17 February 2018 - 13:19.

[DCapps]

Many years ago, I went to a number of those held at Chimney Rock and I was aware of those at Wilkes-Barre, but as Rupert suggests, these are all local events outside the usual realm of modern/recent US motor sport. I would be really surprised if there is any sort of coordination, much less any organization, between that events there are.

 

As mentioned, not surprisingly, my interest is far more on those hill climb events that took place during the first few decades of US racing. There were dozens and dozens of them, held at no end of venues across the country and from the really short to the very long, and from urban (such as St. George Hill in New York City) to the very rural (lots to choose from). It is a topic that deserves far more attention than it gets, one that certainly surprised me given I was aware of just a few and had no clue how widespread it was and has since gained my interest.

Edited by DCapps, 17 February 2018 - 13:36.

[Rupertlt1]

Pre-WW2 manufacturers simply drove a vehicle up some convenient hill and claimed a record, so many 'events' were little more than a publicity stunt.

 

PHA is well worth a look:

 

http://pahillclimb.org/

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 17 February 2018 - 13:43.

[DCapps]

Pre-WW2 manufacturers simply drove a vehicle up some convenient hill and claimed a record, so many 'events' were little more than a publicity stunt.

 

PHA is well worth a look:

 

http://pahillclimb.org/

 

RGDS RLT

 

While I might caution that what Rupert suggests is something of an exaggeration and oversimplification regarding what some manufacturers may have attempted, in some cases, especially during the dawn of the motor car, this certainly seems to be the case. It can also be pointed out that many of these claims make for some highly entertaining -- if not creative -- reading.

 

On the other hand, the hill climbs did offer many manufacturers opportunities for advertising their sporting capabilities that track or road racing did not, especially in light of the variety of classes that hill climb events tended to offer competitors. Giants Despair, Algonquin, Dead Horse Hill, Eagle Rock (Orange),Fort George Hill (NYC), Port Jefferson, Stewart Avenue (Atlanta), and others attracted quite a bit of interest and the attention of the national press (as in the automotive journals).

 

Interesting how it seems to have almost vanished as a form of competition within the USA after the Great War, with Pikes Peak being the exception.

[Bikr7549]

I have often wondered too about the decline of hill climb events in the US. I live in New Mexico and often travel to a places (ski areas mostly) that have roads that would be wonderful for hill climb events. I brought it up once with local SCCA and while they thought it was a cool idea the legal hassles would not be able to be overcome.

Edited by Bikr7549, 17 February 2018 - 18:29.

[Rupertlt1]

New Mexico:

 

Ruidoso Hill Climb, 11 Dec 1955.

 

Denny Hill Climb, 27 April 1958, FTD Glenn Shaw, Healey-Chevrolet, 98.30 secs. Hap Sharp, A.C. Bristol, Class E Production, 107.15 secs.

Sep 15/16 1962.

 

Old Raton Pass Hill Climb from 14/15 May 1960. Course record 1961 Charles Hall, Osca-Chevrolet, in 1 min, 14.3 secs.

 

Event at Los Alamos in October 1954, said to be the third such event, FTD Kurt Kircher, Jaguar Special, 1 min, 39 secs.

(There was an SCCA Hill Climb scheduled for Los Alamos, August 5/6 1967.) 

Via Encenada Hill Climb, Los Alamos, 8 Sep 1968, FTD Gene Wilbanks, Unser-Chevrolet, 114.7 secs.

Los Alamos Hill Climb ran from 1971. 1972: May 20/21.

FTD in 1973 Errol Kobilhan, chevy-powered Champ car, in the Camp May Hill Climb, near Los Alamos, in 2 mins, 14 secs.

Kobilhan repeated in 1974.

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 23 March 2018 - 12:22.

[lcbulldog]

New Mexico:

 

Ruidoso Hill Climb, 11 Dec 1955.

 

Denny Hill Climb, 27 April 1958, FTD Glenn Shaw, Healey-Chevrolet, 98.30 secs. Hap Sharp, A.C. Bristol, Class E Production, 107.15 secs.

Sep 15/16 1962.

 

Old Raton Pass Hill Climb from 1961. Course record that year Charles Hall, Osca-Chevrolet, in 1 min, 14.3 secs.

 

Event at Los Alamos in October 1954, said to be the third such event, FTD Kurt Kircher, Jaguar Special, 1 min, 39 secs.

(There was an SCCA Hill Climb scheduled for Los Alamos, August 5/6 1967.) 

Via Encenada Hill Climb, Los Alamos, 8 Sep 1968, FTD Gene Wilbanks, Unser-Chevrolet, 114.7 secs.

Los Alamos Hill Climb ran from 1971. 1972: May 20/21.

FTD in 1973 Errol Kobilhan, chevy-powered Champ car, in the Camp May Hill Climb, near Los Alamos, in 2 mins, 14 secs.

Kobilhan repeated in 1974.

 

RGDS RLT

Thanks Rupert for mentioning the Ruidoso Hill Climb.  I too live in New Mexico.  Moved to southern NM in late summer '56 with my family and I recall watching a hillclimb soon after that but don't recall the year or location.  What I do remember is that there was a Chevy powered AC Bristol driven by a Bill Dennison.  I guess that the events mentioned were organized by the Rio Grande Region of the SCCA.  There was a Roswell Sports Car Club that may have helped with the Ruidoso event.  I wonder if the Glen Shaw mentioned with the Denny HC was the Glen Shaw from El Paso, TX who we knew in the 60s.

[Rupertlt1]

The Glenn Shaw mentioned above was from El Paso, TX. Any more known about the "Chevy powered AC Bristol driven by a Bill Dennison?"

 

Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 05 Oct 1975, Sunday, Page 88:

COBRA Type AC Bristol. Very hot

sports car. Professionally done. Chevy

327. 1024 Washington SE. 266-1709

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 19 February 2018 - 01:19.

[lcbulldog]

First, apologies for diverting the topic. Dennison raced a Formula Vee in the 60s, in the early days of the class.  I remember a white Formcar at FT. Sumner, NM and my fuzzy memory says it was his.

 

The OSCA-Chevrolet mentioned at the Raton Pass HC:  Ron Hunter raced an OSCA-Chevy at Deming, NM in 1964; could be the same one.

 

Mark

[Michael Ferner]

Roswell! Say no more...

 

 

 ;)

[Jerry Entin]

Terry: Bill Denison was an executive with the Rio Grand Region of the SCCA. He owned Denison Coffee in Albuquerque and beat Carroll Shelby by three years putting an American V8 [Chevy in this case] in his AC Bristol.

All research; Willem Oosthoek

[Rupertlt1]

Do we know what year the Denison A.C. Ace-Chev was built? (He raced a Triumph TR3 in 1958.)

 

BTW I know of at least two A.C. Ace with Chevrolet motor from 1957 - the Corvace and the car of Hubert McPhail.

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 20 February 2018 - 01:12.

[Jerry Entin]

Rupert: In SCCA race reports Bill Denison's AC/Chevy shows up for the first time [and last as well] during the November 1, 1959, Carrera del Norte at El Paso. He finished 5th oa [CM2] after pushing his disabled car for about a mile to the finish line.

So Bill probably did the Chevy installation in 1959.

 

 

An interesting hybrid of the hill climb concept was organized by the Miami-based Florida Region of the SCCA in 1960. Having lost access to Master Field in Opa Locka, the Region hosted the Big Pine Key Hill Climb, described as "a hill climb on the level."

A flat1.5-mile course was laid out among the mangroves and canals of the Florida Keys, for two timed runs. Ernie Robinson [Healey/Chevy] recorded best time over Art Huttinger [Bocar/Chevy] and David Lane [Ferrari 250GT Tour de France]. 

All research: Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 20 February 2018 - 16:36.

[Rupertlt1]

Jerry, I knew about the 'flat' hillclimb in Florida but not the details (Aug 27/28, 1960).

So, was there a hillclimb held in every state of the union?

This could run and run!

RGDS RLT 

Edited by Rupertlt1, 20 February 2018 - 18:19.

[Jack-the-Lad]

I ran in an event in the Keys known as The Bay Bottom Crawl a few times in the 70s. I suppose it could have been considered a flat hill climb through the mangrove.

Alas, pictures are long lost......

[Rupertlt1]

Asheville Citizen-Times (Asheville, North Carolina), Friday 18 Sep 1953, Page 27:

N.C. Sports Cars

To Stage Hill Climb

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Sept

17-The North Carolina Sports

Car Club will stage a hill climb

up Pilot Mountain in Surry County

at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Sports car owners from North

Carolina and Virginia will have

their cars on display beginning at

10 a.m.

 

RGDS RLT

[Rupertlt1]

Grandfather Mountain Hill Climb, NC

Event dates:

21 June 1953

06 June 1954

05 June 1955

03 June 1956

03 June 1957

01 June 1958

07 June 1959

05 June 1960

04 June 1961

1962 cancelled

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 08 March 2018 - 10:42.

[Rupertlt1]

Utah

 

Snow Basin Hill Climb, Ogden:

1961: 28 May, Steve Baughman, Porsche 550 Spyder, 1:08. Ogden Motor Sports Racing Assn. 

1962: 10 June, Steve Harris, Jaguar D-Type (green), 1:03.2 (some sources 1:07.8)

1963: 8/9 June, third annual, Boyd Groberg, Formula Junior (thought to be a Lotus 20B), 1:06.5, said to be new course record

 

Moab Hill Climb:

1963: 4/5 May, Stan Schooley, Elva Mark V, 1:58.4. Accident for Oris Beeny, #71 Formula Junior.

26 April 1964, FTD Laurie Leva, Porsche RS-61, 1:58.97, 2¼-mile hill

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 24 March 2018 - 10:40.

[Rupertlt1]

Western Hill Climb events:

 

Maryhill Loops, Goldendale, WA

Ghost City Hill Climb, Jerome, AZ (also Mule Mountain Hill Climb, Bisbee; Clifton; Sedona; South Mountain Park)

Terry Peak Hill Climb, Lead, SD

Rockerville Hill Climb, SD, first held 4/5 Sept 1971

Tower Road Hill Climb, Rapid City SD, first held 1982

Ten Sleep Hill Climb, Worland, WY

13 August 1961, FTD Chuck Frederick, Golden CO, 4,500 spectators 

(11/12 August 1962; 8/9 August 1964; 14/15 August 1965; 13/14 August 1966; 9/10 Aug 1969)

 

Winchester Hill Climb, Lewiston, ID

 

See also: http://nhahillclimb.org/

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 31 March 2018 - 20:00.

[Rupertlt1]

Oregon

 

Emigrant Hill Climb, Pendleton, OR 

15 July 1956: FTD Deno Vichas, Jaguar XK120, 2 mins, 5.4 sec

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 31 March 2018 - 18:47.

[Rupertlt1]

Wisconsin

 

Rib Mountain Hill Climb, near Wausau

1956: FTD Jim Jeffords, Mercedes Benz 300SL, record

14 October 1956, Milwaukee Region SCCA, see Wausau Daily Herald, Sat 20 Oct 1956, Page 27.

16 June 1957: FTD John Kilborn, Decatur IL, Ferrari Monza 3-litre, 1.299 mins, record; 2nd Loyal Katskee, Omaha NB, Ferrari Monza, 1.337 mins

B Mod: Don Skogmo, Jaguar D-type, 1.369 mins

Prod: Jim Jeffords, Chevrolet Corvette, 1.361 mins

"Jeffords who won the test run at

Rib Mountain last summer and

had his record broken this week-

end by Kilborn, sent his Chev-

rolet Corvette up the winding grind

in 1.361 minutes or about 83.7

mph."

See: Wausau Daily Herald, Mon 17 Jun 1957, Page 16.

 

(So, were there two events in 1956 or only one? Wikipedia says 1957 the only event: fail.)

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 28 March 2018 - 20:34.