Wilbraham Hill Climb to feature automotive celebritiesDate: 5/4/2023 WILBRAHAM — On Saturday, May 13, engines will rev, the sun will glint off chrome and dozens of vintage cars will roar up Monson Road as part of the Wilbraham Hill Climb. This year, automotive and motorsports celebrities Wayne Carini, and Ray and Erin Evernham will join the recreation of the historic 1908 race.
Monson Road, where the Wilbraham Hill Climb takes place, has a grade of 23%, meaning the road has an incline of 23 feet over the course of 100 linear feet. Over the exactly 1-mile course, vehicles will climb about 700 feet.
The original Wilbraham Hill Climb was organized by the Automobile Club of Springfield in 1908. A total of 72 cars climbed Monson Road that year.
“It started out as a testing ground for automobiles,” Hill Climb organizer Jeff DeMarey said, adding that Western Massachusetts was home to several vehicle manufacturers shortly after the turn of the 20th century. Cars were driven up Monson Road “to see if they could make it, and if they could, how fast did they make it?” A car’s speed on the climb became a point of pride and a selling feature, DeMarey said.
DeMarey began organizing the modern Wilbraham Hill Climb in 2013. Since then, it has become a celebration of antique automotives. Cars made before World War II are eligible to compete in the climb.
“These are the cars that they tested on this hill 100 years ago,” DeMarey said. Despite being older cars, DeMarey assured that they have plenty of power. “Some of them, they’re going up at 85 to 90 miles an hour,” DeMarey said, adding, “Steam-powered engines have nothing but torque.” Yes, steam-powered vehicles. In the early days of automobiles, various models of propulsion were explored. DeMarey said there were about 25 steam-powered vehicle manufacturers in the United States at one time. Eventually, DeMarey said, “They lost out to gasoline engines due to the cost and complexity of maintenance.”
There are two steam-powered vehicles registered for the climb.
This year there are 29 cars racing and another 20 on the waiting list, in case there is an unexpected opening. DeMarey explained that the organizers must cap the total number of vehicles because racers “will want to go three to four times” over the course of the day. That means a car will be launched up the hill roughly every two minutes, he said.
Monson Road will be shut down and divided, with cars racing on one side and spectators watching from the other side. The event is free and open to the public.
In addition to the race, spectators can view more than 400 cars that will be on display at Minnechaug Regional High School. Several New England automobile museums including the Owls Head Transportation Museum, the Larz Anderson Auto Museum, Heritage Museums and Gardens, and the Audrain Auto Museum will bring vehicles to display. “We expect a significant contingent of Bugattis, Bentleys, Ferraris and Early Brass, just to name a few,” DeMarey said.
There will be arts and crafts vendors and food trucks at Gazebo Park. Spectators will park at Minnechaug Regional High School and five shuttles will be used to bring people from Monson Road to Gazebo Park and back to the high school.
One person who has previously participated in the Wilbraham Hill Climb and is back this year is Wayne Carini, host of “Chasing Classic Cars.”
“I’m excited to be part of the Wilbraham Hill Climb again,” Carini said in a statement. “This event showcases some of the most impressive cars in the country. I can’t wait to see what this year’s event has in store.”
Joining Carini are former NASCAR crew chief and team owner Ray Evernham and Erin Evernham, a Wilbraham native, former NASCAR driver, team owner and TV personality. DeMarey stated, “She has made a significant impact on the sport and has been an inspiration to many young women who aspire to make a name for themselves in the world of motorsports.”
More than just a celebration of cars, the Wilbraham Hill Climb benefits the Springfield to Boston Education Foundation, a nonprofit created by DeMarey to encourage young people to get involved in the automotive world. Cars are donated to the foundation and displayed at shows, used to teach young people to drive, donated to others or sold so they can fund more programs.
“The car world has expanded during COVID. Mom and dad were home from work, and they could spend time in the garage. You could take the car as a family to go have ice cream,” and the interest grew. “The rule of thumb is people love the cars they couldn’t have in high school. It’s important to keep young adults interested in older cars.”
DeMarey said he would like to partner with schools and use vehicles to teach science, technology, engineering and math or design classes.
DeMarey and his team of seven people spent nine months organizing and preparing for the Hill Climb. This year, the event will be sponsored by the Vintage Car Club of America, Stonewall Insurance Group, Luso Federal Credit Union and 97.7 FM WARE. DeMarey said he especially wanted to thank Luso Federal Credit Union. “Without them, we wouldn’t have had the money” to put on the event, he said.
For more information on the Wilbraham Hill Climb and the Springfield to Boston Education Foundation, visit www.springfieldtoboston.com.
|
