With great weather forecasted over the two-day race, the crowd was large for the 2024 Giants Despair Hillclimb, Wilkes-Barre, on July 12 and July 13.

With great weather forecasted over the two-day race, the crowd was large for the 2024 Giants Despair Hillclimb, Wilkes-Barre, on July 12 and July 13.

<p>Jonathan Barto, left, and his family from Endicott, NY, made the trek to Wilkes-Barre for the Giants Despair Hillclimb race. Left to right: Barto, Ellory, 3-years-old, Graham, 8-years-old, and wife Leigh. </p>

Jonathan Barto, left, and his family from Endicott, NY, made the trek to Wilkes-Barre for the Giants Despair Hillclimb race. Left to right: Barto, Ellory, 3-years-old, Graham, 8-years-old, and wife Leigh.

<p>This year’s Giants Despair Hillclimb had a heavy shadow cast over the event when legendary hillclimb driver and car owner, Jack Danko, who passed way on March 18, 2024 at the age of 80. His car sits at the right, while another member of the Danko racing family, Michael Company, passed away on July 3, 2024 as a result from injuries from a motor vehicle accident, he was 22-years-old. His car, shown on the left with a large poster of him sitting on the wheel of his car. </p>

This year’s Giants Despair Hillclimb had a heavy shadow cast over the event when legendary hillclimb driver and car owner, Jack Danko, who passed way on March 18, 2024 at the age of 80. His car sits at the right, while another member of the Danko racing family, Michael Company, passed away on July 3, 2024 as a result from injuries from a motor vehicle accident, he was 22-years-old. His car, shown on the left with a large poster of him sitting on the wheel of his car.

<p>Driver Bill Feist driving a 2008 Strohr F1000 has his crew clean off his tires before taking his first run of day one on Saturday, July 13 at one of the oldest hillclimb races in the country, the Giants Despair Hillclimb. </p>

Driver Bill Feist driving a 2008 Strohr F1000 has his crew clean off his tires before taking his first run of day one on Saturday, July 13 at one of the oldest hillclimb races in the country, the Giants Despair Hillclimb.

<p>Driver Justin Reed’s 2016 DFkitcar Goblin ran the second best overall time of the first day of racing at the Giants Despair Hillclimb on Saturday with a time of 41.201. Only Ronald Moreck driving a 2002 Norma M20 drove faster with a time of 40.779. </p>

Driver Justin Reed’s 2016 DFkitcar Goblin ran the second best overall time of the first day of racing at the Giants Despair Hillclimb on Saturday with a time of 41.201. Only Ronald Moreck driving a 2002 Norma M20 drove faster with a time of 40.779.

<p>Chris King, driving his Chevy Sliverado, had the 19th best overall time of the day at 46.794. </p>

Chris King, driving his Chevy Sliverado, had the 19th best overall time of the day at 46.794.

<p>After each run, race cars drive back down the Laurel Run Mountain road back to the paddock area.</p>

After each run, race cars drive back down the Laurel Run Mountain road back to the paddock area.

LAUREL RUN — Giants Despair Hillclimb returned on Saturday and will continue Sunday for its 119th year.

Beginning in 1906, the beloved tradition 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.

For information, visit the Giants Despair Hillclimb page on Facebook.

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