Racing till they can’t: Father, daughter compete in Giants Despair Hillclimb

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LAUREL RUN — Bob Katarsky knows every inch of the hill by heart, from its steep incline and 90-degree bends to its signature hairpin turn known as the ‘Devil’s Elbow.’

“I’ve gone up here probably a thousand times since I was a kid,” Katarsky, 76, said as he navigated the twists and turns of the road with ease. “I raced everybody and their brother up this hill.”

Soon, he’ll get the chance to do it again when the Giants Despair Hillclimb returns to Laurel Run on July 13 and 14 for its 119th year.

But he won’t be doing it alone. His daughter, Heather Long, will be driving right alongside him.

“I told my husband that my goal as long as my dad’s driving is to beat him,” said Long, 44. “He told me to do myself a favor and lower my expectations.”

A Beloved Tradition

Beginning in 1906, Giants Despair Hillclimb is one of the of the oldest continuing motor racing events in the world and continues to draw hundreds of racers and spectators from all over the world to the borough of Laurel Run.

The course, which begins at the bottom of East Northampton Street, tests driver’s skills as they race up the mountain to see who can complete the climb in the least amount of time.

According to the Pennsylvania Hillclimb Association, in its early years, all the world’s major car manufactures sent their top cars and drivers to capture honors at the event, including Ralph DePalma (Fiat Team) and Louis Chevrolet driving for Buick.

Prolific automotive designer and race car driver Carroll Shelby even participated in the climb in the 1950s and was the first driver to complete the course in under a minute.

Last year, Katarsky said Giants Despair had the most cars entered out of every other race in Pennsylvania Hillclimb Association.

“This year, we have about 80 [cars] listed, but I’m sure we’ll get close to 100 by race day,” he said.

Family Bond

Katarsky, who is also a U.S. Army Veteran, grew up just minutes from the hillclimb’s starting line and had attended the motor race since he was a child, sparking a lifelong love of cars and racing.

“I used to paint cars. I worked in a body shop and then I built a couple of my own cars,” he explained. “Whenever my father said I could have a car and it never ran or it was wrecked, I had to fix it.”

After years of attending the hillclimb as a spectator, Katarsky became a driver for the first time in 2009.

Seeing her father actually take part in the hillclimb was a turning point for Long, who said she hated attending the event when she was a kid.

“At that point, it became the event I waited for every year,” she said.

Then, just last year, after finding the perfect car, Long decided to enter the climb herself.

When the fateful day arrived, she was so nervous she couldn’t sleep.

“I thought to myself, ‘This is the dumbest idea I’ve ever had.’ My legs were shaking so bad. I had visions of my leg shaking off the brake and hitting the car in front of me,” Long said.

However, after making the trek up the hill a few times, the nerves began to subside. On the final day of the event, Long’s husband told her she seemed like an entirely different person.

“I was like a kid on Christmas. I couldn’t get out the door quick enough to get up [to Laurel Run],” she said.

The fear of losing control and crashing into something is certainly not misplaced. Katarsky himself wrecked one of his cars in 2011, during a race in Weatherly.

“I totaled it coming over a jump,” Katarsky said. “I was airborne and when I came down I rolled it three times.”

Thanks to roll cage installed in the car, Katarsky said he walked away from the crash without a scratch.

“Everybody tells you if you’re gonna go racing, don’t expect to drive it home. That’s what all the big guys tell you,” he laughed.

‘Til You Can’t

On the back of Long’s car, there’s a sticker that says, ‘Til you can’t.’ It’s a reference to a Cody Johnson song and has become somewhat of an anthem for her and her dad.

Long was moved to tears when she explained that because her mother passed away unexpectedly when she was only 18 years old, there was so much she didn’t get to do with her.

The sticker serves as a reminder for her to spend as much time as she can with her dad while there’s still time.

As for Katarsky, he doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. If he’s able, he’ll continue racing in Giant’s Despair Hillclimb for years to come.

“Even if I can’t drive, I’ll still be up there cheering everyone on.”