When Charles Duryea and his brother Frank created the first gasoline-powered automobile in the United States out of an old horse-drawn buggy and a four- horsepower single cylinder engine, they tested it on a remote hill near Reading in the late 1890s. They could not have guessed that nearly 120 years later folks in the area would still be celebrating that legacy by racing their own cars up and down that very same hill–only with a whole lot more horsepower. But alas, that’s exactly what they’re doing, and that celebration will continue this August with the 62nd Annual Duryea Hill Climb.
Start your engines!
Hillclimbing is not your average NASCAR race. In fact, other than using cars, it's not even similar. The Duryea Hill course is 2.3 miles from start to finish and doesn’t pass the same spot twice, climbing to an elevation of 800 feet past the starting point. It includes 13 turns, some of which have been given nicknames based on the expletives that drivers are likely to mutter as they try to navigate their way through sharp lefts and hairpins to the right. And you can expect to see a wide variety of cars, too: “The only stipulation is that drivers and their vehicles must belong to the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA),” says Merlin Miller, regional executive of the Blue Mountain Region Sports Car Club. The SCCA will check the car for requirements like a five-point shoulder harness, roll cage and other safety must-haves necessary for this particular genre of racing. Other than that, it’s open enrollment.
The Climb
Festivities get underway on the evening of Friday, Aug. 16, at 5pm, when racers must meet at the Fire Tower at the base of Duryea Hill in order to register. Then, on Saturday, Aug. 17, at 9am the race begins, continuing until 4pm that day and starting up again at 9am on Sunday the 18th. Admission for spectators is by voluntary donation to the Pagoda Pennies Flagpole Fund, which works to keep the course and its surrounding attractions beautiful all year long. “We use Duryea Drive twice a year,” says Miller, referring to the Duryea race and the Pagoda Hillclimb, which takes place earlier in the year. “It’s only fair that we give back.”
Parties, car shows & good times
In addition to the race, there’s also a party on Saturday night, held at Egelman’s Park. Admission is free for drivers and $10 for everyone else. Along with food, drinks and plenty of good times, there will also be an auction (donations are welcome) with proceeds once again benefitting Pagoda Pennies. On Sunday the 18th, all area car lovers (and their cars) are invited out for the car show, which takes place at the Pagoda itself, situated right along the racetrack’s tenth turn. Unlike the race (and its SCCA membership stipulation), anyone who wishes to show off a vehicle is allowed do so.
So whether you’re a racer, a car lover, or just looking for a good time with the family on an August day, head over to Duryea Drive. A rubber-burning good time is sure to be had by all.
