Some time around 1907 Charles E. Duryea, co-founder of Duryea Power Company in Reading, PA was motoring his two cylinder, air cooled “Buggyaut” automobile up the steep, narrow winding road that would become known as Duryea Drive. Using this hill as a quality test, any vehicle that could not make the climb would be sent back to the shop for further refinement. Fast forward five decades and the SCCA would include the Duryea Hillclimb amongst many other tracks and hill climbs around the country in its Championship circuit. In 1958, Roger Penske would enter Duryea, jump starting his racing career driving a fuel injected ‘57 Corvette Roadster.

On a weekend this past August, fencing and corner markers were getting set up. The chatter of racing buddies and the hum of engines returned to the bottom of Duryea Drive. The hillclimb was ready to go! This volunteer run event put on by the Blue Mountain Region SCCA and Pennsylvania Hillclimb Association brings every level driver and all kinds of vehicles to the starting line. Sitting at turn 4 in the humid Pennsylvania summer air, the sound of tires peeling out at the bottom of the hill could be the product of anything from an 800cc two stroke Arctic Cat powered Cheetah SR1, a 178 hp EV Sports Racer or even a regal 1961 Jaguar MK2.