Duryea and Pagoda Hillclimb - Reading, PA
Tim Royer at Turn 7
This scenic route on the hill
overlooking Reading, PA hosts two events on the same stretch of road, the
Pagoda and Duryea Hillclimbs. Pagoda is a shortened version of Duryea,
starting at turn 2 and finishing at turn 9 of the longer course.
Duryea Hillclimb - The Blue
Mountain Region SCCA hosts the longest hill in the PHA series. Named for the
obscure automobile maker and following the same route that Charles Duryea
used to test his cars, this is a 2.3 mile hill located in a beautiful city
park in downtown Reading, PA. With a history dating back to 1951,
festivities this year will include a celebration of the 100th anniversary of
the automobile. Possibly the most diverse and challenging hill in the
Northeast, Duryea boasts 11 turns (most of which are negotiated in the first
half of the course) coupled with some high speeds at the top.
Hillclimbing presents unique
challenges that can only be experienced in this venue of motorsports. A
perfect example can be found in turn 6 at Duryea. This turn has a nickname
(which cannot be printed in this magazine) that describes the mood of a
driver as they discover they have hit the brake either too early or too
late. The challenge faced here is the quintessential dilemma of hillclimbing:
how long can you stay on the gas when entering the turn without causing the
course workers to scramble into the woods? Some drivers fight the urge to
break early only to find themselves too deep into the turn, thus causing an
involuntary muttering of the turn’s nickname before proceeding into the hay
bails. On the other hand, even veteran drivers will sometimes be fall prey
to the optical illusion that causes the braking point to look closer than it
actually is. The result is premature breaking (ask your therapist). In
baseball terms, it’s like starting your slide into homeplate halfway between
home and third base (very embarassing to say the least). Consequently, this
is the most popular turn for spectators. But if using your right foot is the
reason you race, then welcome to the top of Duryea. Your thoughts turn to
horsepower and freedom as you downshift into second or first gear, trying to
keep your momentum around the hairpin turn 10, knowing that what awaits
around the bend is a long, steep straightaway. Radar guns have clocked some
cars at 140mph on the way to the checkered flag. Then again, if your car
handles better than it accelerates, we suggest you bring along a copy of
Grassroots Motorsports Magazine to catch up on your reading and to help pass
the time as your car chugs its way up to the finish line.
Pagoda - The British cars get
their revenge at this event, which is run on the same mountain as Duryea.
Named after the Pagoda which decorates turn 10, this is a handling course
which offers the all the challenges of turns 3-8 (including the famous turn
6), while leaving out the high horsepower final straight of Duryea.
Description Courtesy of Mike Ancas
Copyright (c)
2000-2003 By Mike Ancas. All Rights Reserved
Duryea Hillclimb