PA Hillclimb

I have been asked if there is a possibility of getting the 2014 Snowshoe Hillclimb included as part of the PHA series. Many details need to be worked out, but first we need to determine if there is sufficient interest among our drivers.

So, the question is, if the event were to be held on a July weekend, say two weeks after Giants, would you go?

I would commit to making the haul out if you guys work things out.

I would definitely commit to this event.

Rich, do you mind if I link this on RacePa? Or could you ask the question over there? Really want to see this happen, a wonderful event and venue. The perfect event to take your significant other to, beautiful resort, great road.

Yes, please do that!

Thanks!

This is one of the most beautiful parts of the United States.
I took my family to Seneca Rocks about 10 years ago, which is the highest point in West Virginia and not far from the hill.
I would love to visit there again, but would be hard pressed to make it only for a weekend.
There is so much to do there, caving, mountain climbing, whitewater, and now hillclimbing, what to choose?
George and I have discussed doing this hill before and I am still quite interested.
From Reading it is 340 miles one way, so make that 680 miles round trip at 10 miles/gal. makes just fuel expenses at current prices around $250.
Add the $200 entry fee, we are up to $450, the usual supplies, food, etc. not real bad.
The roads in and out are very steep so I am not sure my motor home would enjoy the hike, ask me to tell you about my experience out WV route 33 sometime!
If all the details related to the differences between NASA rules and PHA rules could be ironed out I would be interested.
They are not SCCA sanctioned, are they? They also have their own classes, how would that be handled and would we have to join NASA?
No problem, I always wanted to be an astronaut anyway! lol
Maybe Nelson could borrow Ricks car and actually enjoy a weekend racing too!
I think this is something we would need to discuss and agree to at the meeting held before the banquet.
Maybe we should have an impromptu meeting at Weatherly to let everyone air their concerns or we could never reach agreement in just one meeting?
Or nothing else would get done at our fall meeting, we would just debate it and chew up the whole meeting.
Is it possible to get enough information and maybe someone from NASA to join us at Weatherly or the fall meeting to get our questions answered?
I am very open to this discussion and would love another event, was thinking somewhere around Pittsburgh, but this is cool too.

Would that mean moving Giant's a week earlier so that there would also be 2 weeks between Snowshoe and Polish?

It might be tough otherwise for anyone not coming from Pittsburg to do both Snowshoe and Polish if they were only a week apart (unless we all just stayed down somewhere in the area for the week and made a party out of it ).

gdh57 wrote: It might be tough otherwise for anyone not coming from Pittsburg to do both Snowshoe and Polish if they were only a week apart (unless we all just stayed down somewhere in the area for the week and made a party out of it ).

That's my concern. Right now there is 5 weeks between Giant's and Duryea. If you move Polish 1 week towards Duryea, you only have 1 week between Polish and Duryea. From past experience, one or both of the events might lose entrants.

The ideal would be to hold it 2 weeks before Spring Jeff or 2 weeks after Fall Weatherly.

I know in the past they did not want to run Giant's too close to July 4th.

Are they willing to move the snowshoe hillclimb date for us, I doubt it. The Snowshoe Hillclimb's current date fits nicely into our schedule if Polish didn't run at the date slot it has. At Polish they were talking about having an East Coast championship for the last few years, but that died from what I heard, something about issues with closing the road again. If we could revive talks about an East Coast championship with their organizers that would be a great event at the end of September especially since it seems Polish is currently struggling with attendance anyway. An East Coast championship would make big news, draw from both the south and north and probably never have an issue with attendance ever again? It would separate long distance events in the PHA that taps everyone's wallets and just make so much sense. I guess that will never happen then, huh? lol

Another question, is there onsite camping? If not this may impact how many PHA'ers attend.

I brought this idea up at the request of the organizers, as a courtesy to them.

The group looking to hold this event is the same group that put on " Rally West Virginia" earlier this year. They had hoped to have a hillclimb as part of that event, but the hillclimb did not happen.

They plan to hold their rally again in 2014 and want to make sure the hillclimb happens this time around. Their thinking is that in order to have a decent turnout, there needs to be a connection with established (hillclimb) organizations. They are also asking the SEDIV SCCA if they would be willing to make Snowshoe part of their timetrials points series.


Insurance would be whatever the policy covering their rally covers. It's one of several details that need to be clarified. Timing and course workers would be handled by them. As for car classification, they seem to be willing to let PHA drivers compete in their regular PHA class.

The PHA board feels that unless a significant number of PHA members are willing to participate without affecting attendance at our established events (Giants and Polish) it should not be part of our championship series.

I'll have more details at Weatherly, where the info can be shared with and discussed among the drivers who are there.

Need more info but interested. I don't care about points but the timing of it could be a problem. Lets see what happens at Weatherly.

I don't have high hopes that we will get enough interest to actually make this a PHA event. I do hope that does not deter folks from running the event either way!

Something was mentioned, and i think its something all the Hillclimbers in the SCCA (not just PHA) should band together for, a Championship type event. Lets work something out with the National office to promote Hilllclimbing to a level that i believe is possible.