What does everyone think of hillclimbing?

[Rich Sweigart]

For years, I have heard hillclimbers are crazy, nuts, not right in head. We have most likely the most active hillclimb series in North America right here in our neighborhood. I want to know what keeps everyone from trying our events? Are you scared, safety gear, not interested, prices, etc.
Currently, we have 50 classes, all the GCR classes plus Street Mod, Street Prepared, Vintage/Historic. SoloVee.
I am interested in your answers.


Rich Sweigart

[roadkilled75]

From the point of view of a relatively inexperienced autocrosser, it requires a level of $, prep and driving skill beyond what a casual participant like myself can muster. Not a sport that's likely to attract novices, in my opinion. Not sure I'm your target audience for the question, though.

I inadvertently drove one of the hillclimb routes - Northampton street near wilkes-barre, at least I assume it is, it's one *beep* of a hill with launch marks at the bottom and a finish line painted at the top - and I can only imagine what a blast that is to drive at 10/10ths in a fully prepped car. Requires more balls than autox, that's for sure.

[Rich Sweigart]

Thanks, Mike. I hope you are enjoying my old hot rod.

Yes, spent 10 years of solos before my first hillclimb. You went up Giant's Despair, not the most techical hill of the series, except for the Elbow. The Elbow is a right hander, set up on the left side. Braking must be either done before or after the table top, make the right and drop into a huge hole, exit with left wheel on the center line. Go over the center line and your going for a HUGE ride. Rest of the hill, foot to the floor and steer, watch RPMs drop(I am in FVee, the Reynard might be a different story.)

Yes, it does require at least a rollbar, harness, fire bottle, and full driver's gear.

But, go as fast as you want, no cones.

Rich

[oneday]

I've been interested in Duryea/Pagoda and have spectated several times...I think the safety gear is the biggest drawback from a soloists perspective. Now, I always thought that you needed a full cage t do a HC? If it is just a bar...then I'm just a bottle away from Duryea!

[Rich Sweigart]

Only classes that need a GCR cage are Specials, GT1, Formula, Sports Racers, open Production and GT cars.
Remember on a bar, it must meet the tubing thinkness for weight of car, include a diagonial brace,plus 2 aft/fore braces, and you must be 2 inches under the bar with helmet on.

Rich

[sleeperRX-7]

I think they are cool. I am really considering doing a couple of TT events and maybe some hilclimbs in 2009 since I now have a tow vehicle. I am a novice autocrosser trying to get to the next level in road racing but I look at vids on Youtube all the time at the various hillclimb events and this is what is getting my adrenaline going to compete. Rich probably do not remember me but I purchased 2 toyo RA1 from you at an Solo2 event at Boeing in Sept 2007. I was driving the very loud 1985 RX-7.

[oneday]

Remember on a bar, it must meet the tubing thinkness for weight of car, include a diagonial brace,plus 2 aft/fore braces, and you must be 2 inches under the bar with helmet on.

Two inches under with helmet? Everything else I'm legal on...but yeah, I guess only really short people participate? Or everyone has a car with enough interior room to allow for this clearance? I suppose the third option is that drivers really slouch while going through tech?

[BobFab]

Remember on a bar, it must meet the tubing thinkness for weight of car, include a diagonial brace,plus 2 aft/fore braces, and you must be 2 inches under the bar with helmet on.

Two inches under with helmet? Everything else I'm legal on...but yeah, I guess only really short people participate? Or everyone has a car with enough interior room to allow for this clearance? I suppose the third option is that drivers really slouch while going through tech?

Yeah, i am also very very close to that 2"... I assume when you mention fore/aft braces, that a typical Autopower 4pt Cage with harness and diagonal bar would suffice... I guess i am just a drivers suit and extinguisher away.

[proctorsilex]

I know Mary Anne and Chuck who drive the orange Saab. Mary Anne is keen on getting me to hill climb. She convinced me, but I cannot do it now. Once I get a seat, harness, and fire bottle in my Miata, then I should meet the requirements, but I will not hill climb with just a bar in a convertible. If I roll on one of those hills, then there are plenty of rocks and trees to render the roll bar useless.

Once I get the safety gear, I hope to join PHA at one of the track TT events. My only concern is that some of my planned mods might put me in a non-stock class with more safety requirements.

Aside from that, what keeps me away from the actual hill climbs is the spare room and cash for a dedicated race car with a hard top and full cage. I have money now and I plan to buy a house soon. While the house will solve the spare room issue, it will take away my freedom to spend.

I do hear some people say that hill climbing is too dangerous. Maybe it is, but if I had the space and money simultaneously, then I would definitely do it at least once.

[proctorsilex]

BTW, I like hill climbing. Kinda boring to be a corner worker, but it was good to give back and nice to see the event from a different angle. I would much rather drive it.
The hill climbers seem to be good people. I heard about how competitors will help one another. I like camping and hanging out at night with everybody. I would recommend that anybody who likes that sort of thing should go out to an event, do a little volunteering, and hang out with the hill climbers.

[jcr57]

what kind of bar would i be needing for an 08 civic? would it have to be welded on? who or where can i go to get it done unless they already sell premade ones? thats the only thing stopping me from participating. as far as harness, i have a 5 point simpson seat belt which i had in my old car, can i use that or is the stock seatbelt ok? the fire bottle and race gear i have.

[Rich Sweigart]

57,

I assume that this is a street type car like Showroom Stock, Touring, Street Prepared car. If so, you can use a 4 pt.bolt in rollbar like Autopower and Kirk makes(ERW steel is no good. Phoenix does a good job on welding rollbars and cages. Pretty much any shop with a small amount of race prep could install a bolt in. Street belts are no good, the SImpson belts can be used. Make sure the belts are less than 5 yrs old, otherwise they are not good.

Rich

[waktasz]

My guess is because of the safety equipment needed and danger factor. Even track days on a full road course have runoff areas in a lot of places. No way I'd bring my solo car to a hill climb, it's too pretty.

[mrevilracing]

My guess is because of the safety equipment needed and danger factor. Even track days on a full road course have runoff areas in a lot of places. No way I'd bring my solo car to a hill climb, it's too pretty.

Too pretty??? Are you kidding me? We love pretty cars on the hills.
If you exceed the speed limit on the street, then hillclimbing is the same thing. You can get a stone kicked up and spider web your windshield on the street. Or drive off onto the shoulder reaching for your cell phone or scratching your ankle.
It's only those crazies that have a NEED to break records or when the egos get in the way of 2 drivers battling against the clock that things happen.

Those that autox well, actually make really good hillclimbers. Those folks know what their car does and how to get it to perform at it's peak. Some of us started hillclimbing to get off the street.

Help is always a shout away. Confused? Lost? Have no clue what is going on? Just ask. We take everybody in and all are welcomed whether you have no experience with a 'new' car or race your car 24/7.

[waktasz]

It's too pretty to put into a guard rail or tree, that's all.

[Fprodget]

I think the Hillclimb events sound interesting and the history on them makes me want to run there just to say you did it too. As for the safety, you simply need to have the midset that you will hangout around 8/10ths and do thorough preparation on your car.

I planned to attend some hillclimbs this year, but I faced two problems. I spent the first two thirds of the year getting my car situated, and now that the car is going, I face calendar conflicts. My primary interests are to support my son in his FJA kart for autocrossing and road racing. The dates now are all over each other. I will make a hillclimb event or two next year though...most likely Pagoda and Dureyea.

[mrevilracing]

It's too pretty to put into a guard rail or tree, that's all.

It's not that bad really. I own a nice, large tree on the outside of turn 8 at Duryea.
http://s201.photobucket.com/albums/aa233/mrevilracing/?action=view&current=Misc006.jpg
Went in way too fast, got on the wrong side of the crown and didn't get slowed down enough. It was either go in sideways or straight. I chose straight. Hehe. I just see it as part of it. If you want to REALLY run, that is part of what will happen. If you just want to run it, as long as your car doesn't break, you're good.

I think the Hillclimb events sound interesting and the history on them makes me want to run there just to say you did it too. As for the safety, you simply need to have the midset that you will hangout around 8/10ths and do thorough preparation on your car.

Yep, 8/10 keeps you out of trouble for sure. And if your car is strong enough, you can blast thru the finish line at Duryea over 100mph. So, try it once. Leave your ego at home and bring your car home in 1 piece.

I have to go back to hillclimbing. I proved to myself, again, that dodging cones is not in my blood. 1st run, off twice and go thru 3 cones with just the front end. That was before I even turned around to go the other way!!! LOL! Had the course worker guy scrambling 'cause he thought I was coming for him. It was fun but I just seem to aim for those cute little orange things. My wife actually stayed on the course more than I did. So who knows, maybe I change a few things when she wants to autox and put it back when I want to hillclimb.

[s1mpsons]

I am a regular autoxer and enjoy the occasional TT (aka Time Attack in the ricer world). The entry barriers to hill climb for me was always fear of damaging car, crashing, or injuring myself. I would like to know about the statistics of wrecks and injuries for HC drivers.

Secondly, I see now the roll bar and harness requirement for an enclosed sedan. This goes to reducing injuries, so great! But it is also another barrier to entry ($). Hope this helps. Maybe one day I'll run with you guys.

-Jake

[waktasz]

How about this for a barrier to entry...Jake posted the above question like a year ago. Where is everyone?

Also, I find it strange a tiny car with no roof can get by with a single hoop and call it a roll bar, but a fully enclosed car needs a bar too.

[Ian F]

The bar requirement is apparently due to the SCCA Time Trail rules under which the PHA operates.

I've heard of other non-SCCA groups running hill climbs that don't require a bar in closed cars. Northwest Hillclimb Assoc. for example. http://www.nhahillclimb.org/Rules.html

After attending a few events at Reading (Pagoda and Duryea) and driving Duryea Road, I wouldn't want to race on that road in a car I cared a lot about. While I know there are a few who do, I just can't see doing it myself. It seems at every event there has at least one 'off' with car damage. In most places, there is ZERO run-off room.

[Rob]

Never race or hillclimb a car that you aren't willing to walk away from.

[Solo2mcs]

I could walk away from Simmons NEON....do they allow two drivers for a single car?

[mikeburg]

he can walk away from it, too. in fact, i'm betting he will at some point in the next two weeks.

[Ian F]

Never race or hillclimb a car that you aren't willing to walk away from.

Exactly. I have difficulty with even doing HPDE's in a daily driver... too many stories...

[Rich Sweigart]

The only open cars that can get away with just a bar is Street Prepared and Vintage, the rest need a GCR legal cage(open Production, GT, Formula, Sports Racers, Specials). I see that in the future, H&N restraints will be manditory someday.
Lastly, on rollbars, the PHA had them back in the early 60's before we were even a part of the SCCA.

As far as injuries, the PHA has only had 2 deaths in 50 years, most crashes are just minor stuff.
Not all of are events feature no runoff, PHA is at Summit this weekend and will return again on Labor Day wkd.

Rich Sweigart

Back to my Reynard- 2.3 Duratec/MZR rebuild.