“I race because it’s an adventure” – these powerful words spoken by SCCA® Central Carolinas Region member Vicki Lanning propel viewers into the world of SCCA HillClimb through a cinematically-shot video by Graham County Travel. Located in the far west corner of North Carolina, Graham County is home to Central Carolinas Region’s Dragon HillClimb in Robbinsville, NC., which utilizes 2.2 miles and 1,200 feet of elevation through winding roads to offer drivers the thrill – and challenge – of a lifetime. “The adrenaline, the thrill, the curves,” Lanning continues. “Most people, they don’t live in the mountains. They don’t understand the corners and the curves.”
Central Carolinas Region’s Dragon HillClimb is one of the defining SCCA events in that portion of the country. And it’s not just about drivers taking to the mountains – it’s the connections they make on this incredible portion of road.
“This event site is a gift,” explains Central Carolinas Region RE Steve Eckerich. “Halfway up the mountain, you stop and you look out, and, I mean, this is God’s country. If you would have a dream of where you could go to have a race, this would be it.”
SCCA HillClimbs are a speed competition that – like SCCA Autocross and RallyCross, feature a standing start and flying finish. “We run one car at a time every 30 seconds up the mountains – there’s no wheel to wheel,” Eckerich says in the video. “It’s each competitor against the mountain, trying to get the fastest time.”
If the name of this HillClimb sounds familiar, there’s a reason: “It’s a play off of the Tail of the Dragon, the biggest draw to this area,” Eckrich explains. “And with the nice twisty road that we have, the Dragon is just about guts and determination.”
Multiple generations of family attend this event, which includes everything from a pre-event party to swords – after all, how else would one slay a dragon?
Graham County Travel’s video captures all of the excitement of the event – and if you don’t want to jump in a car and head to this Central Carolinas Region HillClimb after viewing these breathtaking four minutes, then you need to have your pulse checked.
The Graham County Travel video can be viewed below.
Image courtesy Graham County Travel
