Had a buddy that ran it. He finished 2nd or 3rd in class.
Photography Courtesy Alec White/SCCA Appalachian HillClimb Series
For Mark and Michele Aubele, date night typically involves a hillclimb. This past weekend, the two won trophies for slaying the Dragon HillClimb XVII, round 3 of the SCCA Appalachian HillClimb Series.
Shortly after Mark and Michele married in 2010, Michele wanted a little more out of their relationship. She didn’t want to merely watch Mark race. Michele wanted to compete as well.
“It looked fun,” Michele says. “I always liked going fast. Having the opportunity to drive as fast as you want on a closed-down road, I thought it was intriguing and I wanted to try it.”
Before Michele started hillclimbing, Mark insisted she start in the sport through autocross. So, she begun by tackling a sea of cones in a parking lot with a Ford Fusion.
“It wasn’t my thing,” says Michele of autocross. “I definitely like the track. I like to run people down and go fast.”
Michele and Mark Aubele
After autocross, Michele joined her husband on hillclimbs. However, the Aubeles typically compete with separate cars. Currently, Mark uses an LS-swapped Ford Mustang while Michele races an LS-swapped BMW 135i.
“One of the problems is we don’t fit [each other's car],” Mark says. “She’s 5-foot-4. I’m 5-foot-10, but I sit like I’m 7-feet tall.
“[The other issue is] she’s too competitive. If she gets beat, she’ll be very upset. One time when we drove the same car, I beat her by hundreds of seconds. The next time [out] it was only by a second or so. I should probably drive with her all the time, because it makes her even more competitive than usual.”
Michele’s no slouch, though. Mark has won his fair share of trophies, but he’s a tad short on the iconic swords handed out by the SCCA Appalachian HillClimb Series for its King and Queen.
“She has three of those swords; I only have one,” says Mark. “I’m kind of jealous.”
Nevertheless, Michele and Mark encourage other couples to join them in the sport.
“It’s good to share the same interests and same hobby,” Michele says. “It brings us closer together. It gives us something to do. It gives us something to talk about.”
And, if anything, it will help eliminate one common issue that many couples fight about.
“If you need a way to get rid of all the money you have, it’s a great thing,” says Mark. “You won’t have any of that pesky money around if you race with your wife.”
Appalachian HillClimb Series Round 3 Results
Dragon HillClimb XVII
Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest
Robbinsville, North Carolina
July 29-30, 2023
Course Info: 2.2 miles, 15 turns, with an elevation change of 1000 feet
Total Number of Cars Taking Time: 60
King (Overall Winner) & Special Open Class
Justin Reed, 2016 DF Kit Car The Goblin, 1:47.803
Queen (Top Female Participant)
Michele Aubele, 2012 BMW 135i, 2:00.255
Placed 15th overall and 7th in Sport Unlimited
FWD
Heyward Wagner, 1989 Honda Civic EX, 2:03.838
Placed 19th overall and 2nd in Modified
Modified Unlimited
Mark Aubele, 2003 Ford Mustang, 1:49.340
Sport Unlimited
Cody Puckett, 1970 Chevrolet 70.5 Camaro, 1:50.453
Super Modified
Heikki Rinta-Koski, 2005 Locost Seven, 1:54.578
Super Sport
Christian Aranha, 2022 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE, 1:57.523
Modified
Dillon Broyles, 2006 Mazda MX-5, 2:01.391
Sport
Benjamin Bunk, 2013 Subaru BRZ, 2:05.587
Special Limited
Ray Cockrell, 1989 Red Devil T-89 Formula 500, 2:38.948
The fourth and final round of the SCCA Appalachian HillClimb Series, the Flag Rock HillClimb III, at Flag Rock Recreation Area in Norton, Virginia, takes place August 26-27. To register, click here.
Had a buddy that ran it. He finished 2nd or 3rd in class.
Here are the complete results:
Pos. Class # Driver Car Model Total
1 so 151 Justin Reed 2016 DFkitcar Goblin 107.803
2 mu 53 Mark Aubele 2003 Ford Mustang 109.34
3 su 144 Cody Puckett 1970 Chevrolet 70.5 Camaro 110.453
4 su 117 Phillip Glass-Hess 1994 Mazda Miata 111.285
5 sm 171 Heikki Rinta-Koski 2005 Locost Seven 114.578
6 sm 6 Lawrence Shue 2003 BMW M3 115.642
7 su 197 Kendall Samuel 2000 Subaru 2000 116.284
8 so 20 Greg Blachon Prototype 117.374
9 ss 55 Christian Aranha 2022 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE 117.523
10 su 22 Jamie Thomas 1997 Ford 117.601
11 su 217 Nate McKeever 2003 Chevrolet Corvette 118.112
12 mu 14 Tom Plaza 1990 Oldsmobile Cutlass NASCAR 118.726
13 su 777 Tanner Dutton 1971 Chevrolet Camaro 118.913
14 mu 138 Seth Monteleone 2013 Scion FR-S 119.497
15 su 880 Michele Aubele 2012 BMW 135i 120.255
16 mu 700 Daniel Semon 1992 Mazda Miata 121.159
17 sm 223 Ryan Cheek 2006 Ford Mustang 121.389
18 m 25 Dillon Broyles 2006 Mazda MX5 121.391
19 m 5 Heyward Wagner 1989 Honda Civic EX 123.838
20 mu 717 James Currie 2016 BMW M4 124.252
21 su 51 Christopher Rathke 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS 124.442
22 m 203 Austin Leiphart 2012 Mazda MX-5 124.444
23 s 19 Benjamin Bunk 2013 Subaru BRZ 125.587
24 su 199 Daniel Gestewitz 2005 Honda S2000 125.784
25 ss 35 Albert George 2017 Chevrolet Camaro 126.658
26 su 101 Calvin Barber 1992 Mazda 126.816
27 s 58 Taylor Shead 2002 Toyota MR-S 128.506
28 m 114 Joshua 'Frodo' Elks 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata 128.564
29 ss 917 Doug Johnson 2017 Ford Mustang GT 128.702
30 sm 194 David Luehrmann 2004 Mini Cooper S 129.916
31 su 711 Hamilton B. Cort 2005 Lotus Elise 130.11
32 sm 98 Vicki Lanning 2006 Mini Cooper S 130.89
33 mu 16 Mike Breakey 1971 Lotus Seven 131.095
34 sm 69 Jim Mason 1974 Ford Mustang 131.17
35 mu 40 Mike Jackson 2002 Dodge Charger 131.529
36 m 34 Myles Fisher 1988 Mazda 1988 mazda RX7 134.31
37 sm 7 Jerry Arwood 2002 Audi A4 134.43
38 ss 1 Brian Gause 1974 Chevrolet Z/28 135.809
39 su 771 John Cort 2005 Lotus Elise 136.456
40 mu 23 Avery Street 1984 Chevrolet Corvette 136.684
41 m 28 Robby Helms 1988 Honda CRX 137.694
42 su 111 Lars Lattstrom 2002 FFR Cobra repl 137.927
43 sm 12 Bill Jr Coffey 1971 Datsun 240z 138.498
44 m 134 Christopher Lathrop Mazda 1988 RX7 138.615
45 ss 78 Dana Lyons 2006 Lotus Elise 139.139
46 m 7 Jason Stocker 1978 Toyota celica 139.89
47 m 128 Robert Leslie 1988 Honda CRX 141.598
48 su 107 Mary Barker 2005 Subaru Wrx STi 142.361
49 sm 119 Noel DesMarteau 1973 Datsun 240Z 142.409
50 ss 4 Andrew Scott 1994 Ford Probe 143.228
51 sm 2 Bill Coffey 1971 Datsun 240 ZR 148.873
52 ss 74 John Hanna 2012 Infiniti G37 150.035
53 m 988 Christopher Shearer 1983 Porsche 944 spec 150.763
54 ss 42 Chris Polhamus 1998 Honda Civic 150.995
55 m 46 Robert Pharr 1972 Nissan 510 151.738
56 m 404 Curtis Bowman 1990 Honda CRX 155.378
57 sl 37 Ray Cockrell 1989 Red Devil T_89 Formula 500 158.948
58 m 983 Steven Parsons 1983 Porsche 944 162.209
59 so 75 Jim Lewis 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt DF Goblin 170.667
60 sm 9 Darryl DesMarteau 1973 Datsun 240Z 177.501
In reply to J.A. Ackley :
29th overall. 
In reply to Ranger50 :
That's podium in his class. Not too shabby. :-D
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