Giants Despair Hillclimb facts for kids
| Location | Laurel Run, Pennsylvania, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°13′18″N 75°51′33″W / 41.221551°N 75.859201°W |
| Opened | 1906 |
| Hill Length | 1 mile (1.6 km) |
| Turns | 6 |
| Hill Record | 37.692 s (Ron Moreck, 2025) |
The Giants Despair Hillclimb is a super exciting car race held on a steep mountain road in Laurel Run, Pennsylvania, United States. It's called a "hillclimb" because drivers race their cars up a challenging hill as fast as they can! This event started way back in 1906 and is the oldest car race that's still happening in Pennsylvania. It's a big deal for car enthusiasts and a fun event for everyone to watch.
Contents
The Exciting Race Up the Hill
Every year, amazing race car drivers from all over the country come to East Northampton Street. This road winds its way through the steep mountains of Pennsylvania. The race course is about 1 mile long. It climbs 650 feet, which is like going up a very tall building! Some parts of the road are super steep, with a slope of up to 20%.
The Challenging Course
The course has six turns that make it extra tricky for drivers. One of the most famous turns is called "Devil's Elbow." It's a very sharp, 110-degree turn that drivers have to navigate carefully. The first race in 1906 was won in 2 minutes and 11.2 seconds. Imagine how fast that was back then!
Famous Drivers and Records
In the early days, the Giants Despair Hillclimb was a place where car companies tested their new vehicles. Famous drivers came to show off their skills. For example, Louis Chevrolet, who later started the Chevrolet car company, raced here in 1909. He even had an accident where his car flipped over, but luckily, he wasn't badly hurt.
Many other legendary drivers have tackled this hill. These include Carroll Shelby, Roger Penske, and Oscar Koveleski. They all tried to set the fastest time up the mile-long course. The road has been paved many times over the years, helping drivers go even faster.
The current record holder is Ron Moreck. In 2025, he raced up the course in an incredible 37.692 seconds! That's super fast! Today, the Hillclimb happens on the second weekend of July. It is organized by the Pennsylvania Hillclimb Association (PHA).
Giants Despair Past Winners
| Year | Driver | Vehicle | Time | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1906 | Hugh N. Harding | English Daimler 35 h.p. | 2:11.2 sec R | May 10. | |
| 1907 | William Wray | Simplex-Peugeot (Motorcycle) | 1:40.0 sec | May 30. | |
| Walter C. White | White Steamer (Steam car) | 1:49.8 sec | |||
| J.B. Ryall | Matheson 60 h.p. (Gasoline car) | 1:59.2 sec R | |||
| 1908 | Willie Haupt | Great Chadwick 6-cylinder | 1:38.4 sec R | May 30. | |
| 1909 | David Bruce-Brown | Benz 120 h.p. | 1:31.6 sec R | ||
| 1910 | Ralph DePalma | Fiat 200 h.p. | 1:28.4 sec R | June 14. | |
| 1911-1915 No events. | |||||
| 1916 | Fred Junk | Chalmers | 1:41.0 sec | Oct 7. | |
| 1917-1950 No events. | |||||
| 1951 | Dellevan Lee | Allard-Cadillac | 1:07.5 sec R | May 11/12. | |
| 1952 | Phil Walters | Cunningham CR-4K | 1:02.3 sec R | July 24/26. | |
| 1953 | Dellevan Lee | Allard J2 | 1:04.4 sec | July 24. | |
| 1954 | A. Erwin Goldschmidt | Ferrari 4.5 | 1:01.26 R | July 24/25. | |
| 1955 | Duncan Black | Ferrari 4.5 #44 | 1:02.4 sec | July 22. | |
| 1956 | Carroll Shelby | GP Ferrari 4.5-liter | 58.768 sec R | July 20. | |
| 1957 | Dr. Louis Winkler | Chevrolet Corvette | 58.35 sec R | July 19. | |
| 1958 | J. Robert Bucher | Allard-Cadillac | 1:00.933 sec | July 18/19. | |
| 1959 | Roger Penske | Porsche RSK | 59.1734 sec | July 30/Aug 1. | |
| 1960 | John Meyer | Meyer Special | 57.5 sec R | July 29/31. | |
| 1961 | John Meyer | Pontiac Spl. | 56.576 sec R | July 30. | |
| 1962 | John Meyer | Meyer Special | 55.858 sec R | ||
| 1963 | Charlie Kurtz | Porsche RS-61 | 56.3543 sec | July 27. | |
| 1964 | Hal Keck | A.C. Shelby Cobra 4.7-litre | 55.6619 sec R | July 24/25. | |
| 1965 | Harold Keck | A.C. Shelby Cobra 7-litre | 51.9152 sec R | July 24/25. | |
| 1966 | Oscar Koveleski | Cooper-Chevy | 50.336 sec R | July 30. | |
| 1967 | John Meyer | Cooper-Ford | 53.281 sec | July 29. | |
| 1968 | John Meyer | Lola T70-Chevrolet | 49.100 sec R | July 27. | |
| 1969 | Oscar Koveleski | McLaren Mk6B | 47.636 sec R | July 27. | |
| 1970 | John Meyer | Lola T70 | 52.524 sec | ||
| 1971 | Jerry McKown | Caldwell Super Vee | 54.391 sec | ||
| 1972 Cancelled. | |||||
| 1973 | Craig Smith | Cooper-Chevy | 51.551 sec | ||
| 1974 | Don Smith | McLaren Mk8B Chevy | 48.455 sec | ||
| 1975 | Oscar Koveleski | McLaren Mk6B Chevy | 45.123 sec | ||
| 1976 | Oscar Koveleski | McLaren Mk6B Chevy | 45.206 sec | July 17/18. | |
| 1977 | Oscar Koveleski | McLaren Mk6B Chevy | 44.127 sec | ||
| 1978 | Jim Willauer | LeGrand 5000 | 48.661 sec | ||
| 1979 | Oscar Koveleski | McLaren Mk6B Chevy | 46.110 sec | ||
| 1980 | Robert Oswald Sr. | VW-Kellison | 51.185 sec | ||
| 1981-1985 No event run. | |||||
| 1986 | Tommy Van Scoy | Ralt RT1 Formula Continental | 49.666 sec | ||
| 1987 | George Bowland | LeGrand Formula Continental | 49.110 sec | ||
| 1988 | Jerry Coffee | March Formula Atlantic | 45.840 sec | ||
| 1989 | Tommy Van Scoy | March Formula Atlantic | 45.368 sec | ||
| 1990 | Carl Jones | Open Chevy Sports Racer | 49.786 sec | ||
| 1991 | Jerry Coffee | March Formula Atlantic | 45.485 sec | ||
| 1992 | John Halbing | Chevy Camaro GT-1 | 43.491 sec R | ||
| 1993 | John Halbing | Chevy Camaro GT-1 | 43.919 sec | ||
| 1994 | John Halbing | Chevy Camaro GT-1 | 42.632 sec R | ||
| 1995 | Jerry Kieft | The Bandit S2 | 44.308 sec | ||
| 1996 | John Halbing | Chevy Camaro GT-1 | 45.213 sec | ||
| 1997 | Ron Moreck | Formula Reynard S3 | 43.320 sec | ||
| 1998 | Ron Moreck | Formula Reynard S3 | 43.784 sec | ||
| 1999 | Ron Moreck | Formula Reynard S3 | 43.259 sec | ||
| 2000 | Ron Moreck | Formula Reynard S3 | 43.595 sec | ||
| 2001 | Ron Moreck | Formula Reynard S3 | 39.914 sec R | ||
| 2002 | Ron Moreck | Formula Reynard S3 | 40.865 sec | ||
| 2003 | Barry Griffith | Swift Formula Continental | 44.743 sec | ||
| 2004 | Mark Mashburn | Chevy Camaro GT-1 | 44.309 sec | ||
| 2005 | Darryl Danko | Swift Formula Atlantic | 43.559 sec | ||
| 2006 | Darryl Danko | Lola TB900 Special 3 | 39.000 sec R | July 7–9. | |
| 2007 | Darryl Danko | Lola TB900 Special 3 | 38.360 sec R | ||
| 2008 | Darryl Danko | Lola TB900 Special 3 | 40.047 sec | ||
| 2009 | Darryl Danko | Lola TB900 Special 3 | 41.157 sec | ||
| 2010 | George Bowland | BBR Shark | 40.917 sec | July 11/12. | |
| 2011 | Darryl Danko | Gurney Eagle | 42.187 | July 9/10 | |
| 2012 | Darrly Danko | Lola TB900 Special 3 | 40.100 | July 14/15 | |
| 2013 | John Burke | 1997 Reynard Champ Car | 39.672 sec | July 13/14. | |
| 2014 | John Burke | 1997 Reynard Champ Car | 38.024 sec R | July 12/13. | |
| 2015 | John Burke | 1997 Reynard Champ Car | 38.277 sec | July 11/12. | |
| 2016 | John Burke | 1997 Reynard Champ Car | 38.583 sec | July 9/10. | |
| 2017 | John Burke | 1997 Reynard Champ Car | 39.241 sec | ||
| 2018 | Darryl Danko | 1998 Reynard Car | 42.702 sec | ||
| 2019 | Bob Gardner | 2006 Stohr | 41.709 sec | ||
| 2020 Event Cancelled due to Covid-19. | |||||
| 2021 | George Bowland | 2003 BBR Shark SR1 | 42.093 sec | ||
| 2022 | Mark Aubele | 2003 Ford Mustang LS Swap | 41.718 sec | ||
| 2023 | Ron Moreck | Koenigsegg FTF | 40.167 sec | ||
| 2024 | Heikki Rinta-Koski | 2013 Radical SR8 | 39.695 sec | ||
| 2025 | Ron Moreck | Koenigsegg FTF | 37.692 sec R | ||
Key: R = Course Record.
See also
- Hillclimbing in the USA
- Mount Washington Hillclimb Auto Race
- Sports Car Club of America
