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| 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 (1,800 yd) |
| Turns | 6 |
| Hill Record | 38.360 s (Darryl Danko, 2007) |
The Giants Despair Hillclimb is a hillclimb established in 1906 just outside the Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in Laurel Run, Pennsylvania, United States.[1] It is the oldest continuing motorsport in Pennsylvania.[2] Race drivers from across the nation gather annually on East Northampton Street, the name of the road that winds its way through a 1 mile (1.6 km) section of Pennsylvania's steep mountains. Rising 650 feet (200 m), the course reaches grades up to 20% and has six turns—including the 110 "Devil's Elbow"— in the race to the top.[1][2]
The current record holder is Darryl Danko, who ran the course in 38.360 seconds in 2007.[1] The original race was won in 2 minutes 11 seconds.[2]
In its first years, the race was used as a proving grounds by the biggest name in the automotive industry. Once recordholder Louis Chevrolet raced the hill as a way of demonstrating how powerful and reliable his product was. Carroll Shelby, Roger Penske, and Oscar Koveleski are just a few of the famous drivers that set out to tackle the mile. The hill has been paved many times and the records have been shattered. It was first run in conjunction with Wilkes-Barre's centennial celebration.[2] Today, the Hillclimb is still run on the second weekend of July.
References
- ^ a b c "Giants Despair Hillclimb - Laurel Run, PA". http://www.pahillclimb.org/Courses/Giants.htm. Retrieved on 2009-06-16.
- ^ a b c d Nardone, Ralph (May 30, 2006). "Giant's Despair Hill Climb marks centennial". Northeast Business Journal (Northeast PA Business Journal). Archived from the original on 2009-06-16. http://www.webcitation.org/5hZkCj1Nj. Retrieved on 2009-06-16.
External links
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