Back in the day, the Chimney Rock Hill Climb was a big part of the SCCA calendar. The twists and turns that made up this North Carolina event attracted both road racers and autocrossers. In 1996, after 40 years, the event went silent.
Its spiritual successor has perhaps returned: The SCCA will host the Pine Mountain HillClimb in Pineville, Kentucky, May …
Somewhat related: I was born around 12 miles south of Pineville, in Middlesboro, Kentucky.
This might be the perfect excuse to head back up that way.
In reply to Colin Wood :
Put a roll bar in the Fit and you're ready.
How can you begin to call that the successor to the Chimney Rock Hillclimb? CCR-SCCA has continued running hillclimbs almost every year, and sometimes twice a year, since they had to shut down Chimney Rock. The Chasing the Dragon Hillclimb near Robbinsville, NC is the actual successor to the Chimney Rock Hillclimb.
From what we hear, the total event feel will be very close to Chimney Rock, a GRM favorite from back in the day. Others hill climbs exist, but Chimney Rock was special.
Yes, others do exist, but when the Central Carolinas Region SCCA (CCR-SCCA) had to stop running at Chimney Rock, NC we moved to Beech Mountain, NC for a number of years, and then to Sparta, NC, thanks to Tommy Richardson, and then Eagle's Nest, and Wolf Ridge for a few years before we moved to Robbinsville, NC near the famous Tail of the Dragon for the current Chasing the Dragon Hillclimb. I'm not trying to be a dick, I'm not taking anything away from the new place, and I hope it's hugely successful for the sport, but don't discount what the CCR-SCCA has been doing for decades by implying that it's just now the return of the Chimney Rock Hillclimb!
BTW, the final running of the Chimney Rock Hillclimb was in 1995. I was the registrar for the last 3 events and got to drive it in 1995. Finished first in SSC with the FX16 GT-S. Still have this mug on my desk! Trophy is at home!
The following year (1996) when it moved to Beech Mountain, the Morse family who owned Chimney Rock Park at the time hosted a drivers/workers dinner. They were a great bunch of people to work with!
It is awesome to have new location host a hillclimb. If you have never driven in a hillclimb, it is highly recommended.
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