The Women of Hill Climbing....

[Ron Mann]

Were almost at the top!! Judy Beattie is next. Hailing from Norristown, Judy hit the hill climb scene around 1963. Running a Lotus Super 7…she not only dominated the Ladies Class…she took many C Production wins as well. She starts the wins in 1964 with a CP class win at Giant's Despair and Duryea's Ladies class. 1965 she was the Ladies Champion taking that class at Giant's, Duryea, Jefferson, Hobbie/Green Mountain, Weatherly, Hyner View & Fall Hershey…she also took C Prod at Hyner that year. She followed 65 with another Ladies championship in 1966. Duryea, Giant's, Weatherly, Hobbie/Green Mountain & again at Fall Hershey were won by Judy. She also nabbed C production wins at Giant's and Hobbie that year as well. Elly Fronina, Shaune Piper or Karen Snow/Nesbitt were some of her main competitors in the Ladies Class…Dave Redmond or Richard Grime in C Production. An interesting tid bit…is that she defeated Janet Guthrie at the 1966 Fall Hershey event. Judy was also very active in promoting the PHA by writing a column (Up Hill) in an East Coast race magazine called; Top Gear. She can also be heard on the Duryea Hill Climb LP!

[dspgti]

Ron, what is this Duryea LP? That is the first time I ever heard of it. Was I sleeping or is there something you have been hiding?

Dave Y

[beachfv14]

I remember Judy as being quite a competitor. She was still racing a few years after I started running hills in the mid sixties.
She was good friends with a guy named Mickey Cohen who, as I remember also raced a Lotus, a 23 b I think.
She was always active in the running of Duryea even when she stopped competing.
The first time I met her was at a party at a place called the "High Point Inn" somewhere in the Pocono, Scranton area the weekend of Giants despair. I think,,,

Tom Uhler, from Imported auto parts and I went up to see the new POCONO intl raceway.
We drove around the 21/2 mile dirt bank before it was paved.
Satuurday, no-one there.

I met Mickey Cohen, Oscar Kovaleskie, I think Joe Wilkie was there, and a bunch of the folks from up north.
We were just a couple of nobodies who were just starting in hillclimbing, but these folks went out of their way to make us feel welcome.
Oscar was running a Chevy powered Ferrari then, and it was there on display.Gorgeous...
I think that Judys' and Mickeys' cars were there also.
Mickey might have owned the Inn,, any one remember that event ??
Jog an old mans' memory...
I saw Judy maybe 20 years ago at a fly-fishing show in Carlisle.
I think she married later in life, to a man who was a serious flyfisherman.
She looked great, as always.
Tom Hartman

[beachfv14]

OH I almost forgot,,,
Thanks to the article on Judy,,,

I won an argument.
I argued for years that Lotus Super 7s ran in C production before they were moved to D, and eventually to E production.
Everyone said they were NEVER in C prod..
Bull Hockey.. we were there.

Gloria Hartman had one, and I knew it was a c car at one time,
Taa Daa.
Tom Hartman

[Ron Mann]

Go Tommy go!! As you can see from the pix of Judy in the Lotus...it is clearly marked CP. If you need more evidence...let me know!

[Ron Mann]

And Dave...didn't mean to forget you. There was a 12" record made, I'd say around 1965...entitled Duryea Hill Climb. It has the sounds of the event, some interviews and I can't remember what else. It has Al Loquasto's Vette on the cover. I JUST had it in my hands the other day as I packed it up as we get ready to move...so I can't give you much more detail.

[Mazdahead]

Are you digitizing any of these old videos and records? I have a pc that I use for recording anything to my hard drive and then copy it to DVD if that would help at all? Let me know if you need any help with this.

[Ron Mann]

I sent you a PM...

[Ron Mann]

At the top of this mountain…is Dr. Patricia Enzman - Alspach, as so many of you may have guessed. Running a handful of Volvos and a few spec racers Patricia competed on the hill climb circuit off and on from 1972 - 2002. I show her first win being at the 1973 Tuscarora hill climb (even though they have her name spelled wrong on the result sheet). I can only assume that she is away from the hills for a spell…on her way to become a doctor. I have her back on the hills in 1985 (although there are some result gaps in the early 80's). She is now in DSP and takes a win at Duryea. In 1986 she takes DSP at Giant's Despair. The first class championship comes in 1987, the class DSP and wins happen at Duryea, Summit Point, & Fall Weatherly. The last win in the 80's looks to be in 1988 in a Sports Renault at Duryea.

The 90's begin and Patricia is now running in the Spec Racer class. She takes the class at Duryea in 1990 and in 1991 she claims victories at Duryea, Pagoda, Weatherly & Montage. She returns to Montage and claims the class again in 1993.

By 1995 she is back in a Volvo and now running in Historic 1. She takes first at Giant's, Fall Weatherly and Pine Grove Hill Climbs. 1996 was a big year…all but sweeping the season in Historic 1 (Duryea, Pagoda, Giant's Despair, Fall Weatherly, Rose Valley, Spring Weatherly, Pine Grove & New Hampshire solo) She misses the June Pocono Solo event…and of course she is class champion.

The last year it appears she ran was in 2002…she tallies up two more wins at Duryea & Fall Weatherly in Historic 1. Dr. Enzman was always on hand to assist with medical issues and was elected to the PHA Hall of Fame in 2002.

[Ron Mann]

Here is another photo.

I'll be putting up some more notables shortly!!

[Rich Sweigart]

Tom,

I saw Judy last year at the Reisentoter 50th, with her husband. He makes handcrafted wicker chairs, usually has a display at Mercer Museum Folk Festival in Doylestown, PA. I had a good time at the 50th, lots of old hillclimbers; Chip Ott, Sandy Sadtler, Jim Haas, Dave Redmond, Beidler's 356 Coupe, Horace Ott's Speedster.

Ron,

Patty is one hell of a good driver, lack of funds cut short her Women's Globial GT career. She was also a test driver for SCCA's Shelby Can-Am car. She also spent some time road racing in the NNJR SCCA Volvo Historic Series. Her late husband, Bob, was very proud of everything that she did and her biggest cheerleader, when he wasn't getting me drunk or into trouble. BTW, the Alspach 122 was the basis for the current PHA Vintage and Historic rules that I helped create.

Rich

[beachfv14]

Hi Rich,
The Reisentoter reunion must have been a great event.
I ran hills when the foks you mentioned were competing.
I remember Dave Redmond when he raced a Lotus Super 7.
My wife Gloria had one at the same time.

Did Sandy Sadtler have the Yellow Elva 7 with the 4 cam carrera 4 cyl. engine.
I almost bought that car for $6,000. Wish I had, There were only about a dozen of them ever.
Thanks for the memories.
Say Hi to Mom.
Tom Hartman

[Rich Sweigart]

Tom,

Yes, the Reisentoter event was wonderful, it was nice to see all of my parents friends from the time that I was growing up. Michelle told that I looked like a little kid in a candy store with all of the old Porsches.

Sandy had the ex-Jean Behra Porsche Formula 2 car.

The Elva that you almost bought, I think was Jerry Segal's car, my only memory of the car was at the Porsche Parade held at Pocono. Al and Dave Derecola had a red one with a modified rear engine cover. Dave is active with the NASA 944 Cup events.

Back in the day, there was plenty of Porsches or Porsche powered cars running the hills. Maybe someday, Ron will dig up some stuff about them.

Rich

[beachfv14]

Hi Rich, I got my Porsche folks mixed up.
I remember the formula 2 car. Did Tom/ Dutch Shapell from Joe Cams' place own that car first?
I also remember Derecolas car, A flat fan 1800 Carrera if I am correct, Started life as a RSK, 60, 61 etc.
Tim Firestone and I ran the "Hate Bug' in that class for a season, Porsche powered sort of a beetle, MOD II . Boy did we get spanked. Also Tom Biehl in the RSK,Denny Frick in the "Tijuana Taxi". John Debaugh in his CESKO chevy powered. kit car. [Porsche suspension, and trans,]
were in our class. Tough crew.

Mod II had a lot of Porsche pieces in it... Even the Sable had a Porsche trans, and 911 carbs on top of a Corvair engine,, NEAT Stuff..
OOPS, We sort of got off the subject of ladies in hillclimbibg.

Professor Ron will give us detention..

I remember,,,,,,,,,,But not always accurately..
Thanks again, Tom Hartman
[The 100 year old Hillclimber]

[Ron Mann]

Yea...way to rip a thread!! Take it to she Specials thread....half of those cars are on there or will be on there.

[Rich Sweigart]

Sorry, Ron. That is what happens when you get 2 Dutchmen together, talking about fancy WeeWs.

Rich

[Ron Mann]

i still love ya!

[Ron Mann]

Mary Anne Fieux snagged the 2005 Vintage 1 Championship.

[Ron Mann]

Cindy Shaffer/Bauer started out co-driving with her Father, Larry...and then went to the Mini. I believe she is a driving instructor for Skip Barber.

[Ron Mann]

Rich mentioned Gloria Hill....