TIME TRIALS & HILLCLIMBS
From the Track to the Hills – You Can Even Compete in Your Street Car
WORDS Richard S. James and Philip Royle MAIN IMAGE D. E. Baer
On the SCCA organizational chart, Time Trials and Hillclimbs seat
within the Club Racing portion of the
Club – and it’s easy to see why. Both
Hillclimbs and Time Trials welcome
full-fledge racecars and, like Club
Racing, Time Trials takes place at the
racetrack. Where Time Trials and
Hillclimbs differ starkly from Club
Racing, however, is you have the
option of competing in your daily
driver. In fact, in these two programs,
it’s encouraged.
There are four levels within the
Time Trials program. Performance
Driving Experience (PDX) is level
one, level two is Club Trials, and the
third level is Track Trials. Each of
these levels raises the bar on
performance and speed. While being
listed as the fourth level of Time
Trials, Hillclimbs is really its own
animal. Hillclimbs take competitors
onto closed public roads – usually
roads that climb mountains.
Each level has different
requirements for car preparation,
safety equipment, and driver licensing.
As the speeds and risks climb, so does
the level of safety equipment and
required driver training.
Time Trials offers a level for
everyone, and offers a sensible
progression from one to the
other. If you require more speed
but aren’t looking for wheel-to-
wheel racing, then Time Trials is
for you.
