Racing
Hillclimb celebrates 100th Anniversary
By GREG ZYLA

Darryl Danko celebrates his record-setting run in his Lola T8900 Indy Car at the 100th anniversary Giants' Despair Hillclimb. (Photo by Mark Moran/The Citizens' Voice)

With the exception of Pikes Peak, most hillclimbs receive little or no national publicity. However, one Pennsylvania hillclimb with a legacy that dates back to 1906 is still in operation, and it's called "Giants' Despair." The name comes from the size of the mountain (giant) and the usual results of those who attempt to conquer it (despair).

Historically, no hillclimb can match "Giants' Despair" in both legitimacy and tradition. The event is held outside Wilkes-Barre, Pa., in Laurel Run Borough on East Northampton Street. The community has hosted the event since its inception 1906.

In its early years, the world's major manufacturers sent their top cars and drivers to the event. Early notables included Ralph DePalma for Fiat (DePalma won the 1915 Indy 500 for Mercedes) and Louis Chevrolet driving for Buick.

The list of drivers who have conquered Giants' Despair reads like a "who's who" of motorsports. It includes Carroll Shelby (first driver to break the magic minute), race team owner Roger Penske, and noted Pennsylvania roadrace champion Oscar Koveleski, who helps organize the event. Koveleski's record run in the event, set in 1977 in a Can Am McLaren MK6B/Chevy, stood for 15 years until noted Trans-Am racer John Halbing broke it in 1992.

The six-turn, 650-foot elevation Giants' Despair hill is not an easy course to navigate. It starts gently, with a rising quarter-mile straight, followed by a fast left-hander that tests both nerves and skill. A short chute leads to the infamous "Devil's Elbow," a sharply rising hairpin that goes off camber at its crest. Next, a series of 90-degree turns connected by short straights continue to test both driver and car. Then comes "The Incline," a meandering quarter-mile stretch that rises at 22-degrees to the finish.

Koveleski says he's seen an increased interest by spectators, who are starting to enjoy just how exciting a hillclimb can be.

"Hillclimbs offer spectators a little bit of everything, from huge V8-powered Corvettes and Lola Indy Cars to Austin Healy Bug Eye Sprites and MGAs. There are left and right turns, straightaways, and always the incline. The drivers have to battle completely different obstacles, as hillclimbs are run on what are actually public highways. There's excitement at every turn."

Adding to the history of this year's climb was the corporate involvement of Toyota, which became the first manufacturer to officially sponsor a run in a hybrid electric-assisted vehicle when a 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid ascended Giants' Despair as part of pre-climb media-day festivities. The Sports Car Club of America and hillclimb officials were impressed, and they agreed to look into a separate hybrid class for 2007.

A record 103 drivers competed in 43 classes this year, with an overall new record of 39.00 seconds set by Darryl Danko in a 1989 Lola T8900 (former Bobby Rahal Indy Car). The event is sanctioned by the SCCA and organized by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Region.

For information on hillclimbs in your state or region, do an Internet search on "Hillclimb Association."

Write to Greg Zyla in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL32853-6475, or send an e-mail to letters.kfws@hearstsc.com.

(c) 2006 King Features Synd., Inc.