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 | 38.024 s (John Burke, 2014) |
The Giants Despair Hillclimb is a super exciting car race that started way back in 1906! It happens in Laurel Run, Pennsylvania, in the United States. This race began as part of Wilkes-Barre's 100th birthday celebration. It's actually the oldest car race that's still happening in Pennsylvania today!
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The Exciting History of Giants Despair
Every year, 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 up the mountain! Some parts of the road are super steep, going up to a 20% grade. That's like climbing a really tall hill! There are six turns on the way to the top, including a very sharp 110-degree turn called "Devil's Elbow."
The very first race was won in 2 minutes and 11.2 seconds.
Famous Drivers and Amazing Records
In its early days, the Giants Despair Hillclimb was a place where big car companies tested their new vehicles. Famous drivers came to show what their cars could do.
Louis Chevrolet, who later started the Chevrolet car company, raced here in 1909. He won one of the events. He also had a bit of a crash where his car flipped over, but luckily, he wasn't badly hurt!
Other legendary drivers like Carroll Shelby and Roger Penske also took on this challenging hill. They are well-known names in the world of racing.
The road has been paved many times over the years. This has helped drivers go faster and faster. The current record holder is John Burke. In 2014, he zoomed up the course in an incredible 38.024 seconds!
Today, the Giants Despair Hillclimb takes place on the second weekend of July. It's organized by the Pennsylvania Hillclimb Association (PHA).
Who Won the Giants Despair Race?
Here's a list of some of the winners and their amazing vehicles over the years. The "R" next to a time means it was a new course record!
| 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. | |
Key: R = Course Record.
See also
- Hillclimbing in the USA
- Mount Washington Hillclimb Auto Race
- Sports Car Club of America
