Competing in Reading for the first time in two years, Ron Moreck etched his name into the Pagoda Hillclimb record books on Sunday.
Moreck sped up the 1.35-mile stretch of Duryea Drive in 73.213 seconds, breaking the course record set by George Bowland, to claim his first Pagoda Hillclimb title.
“It feels awesome,” Moreck said. “It’s been a while since I had an overall record.”
Behind the wheel of his 2002 Norton Prototype 1, Moreck broke Bowland’s record of 73.374 seconds, which was set in 2011. Moreck competed on Saturday and Sunday, but produced his run during the afternoon on Sunday.
“He is one of the best ever,” Moreck said about Bowland. “To break his record is incredible.”
A hillclimb lifer, Moreck grew up watching his father and uncle compete in hillclimbs in the 1970s and 1980s. A Wilkes-Barre resident, Moreck started competing in 1996.
“I remember being at the hillclimbs, watching everybody race, but it wasn’t until I started to compete that I was completely hooked,” Moreck said. “I’ve always had a competitive attitude.”
Moreck, 52, follows the Pennsylvania Hillclimb Association circuit and competes at events across the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Moreck beat defending champion Mark Aubele on Sunday, despite Aubele recording a career-best time of 76.860 seconds.
“The guys you race against keep you going,” Moreck said. “It’s a whole different family that you get.”
Moreck’s car, built in France and designed specifically for competition in European hillclimbs, features a 2.4-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder Honda engine and a six-speed paddle-shift transmission. It was raced in hillclimbs in Ireland for many years before Moreck bought it used.
“It’s been highly modified from its original form to compete in hillclimbing,” Moreck said. “It’s just the light weight and the sheer power of it.”
While a veteran of the hillclimb circuit, Moreck always looks forward to bringing his car to Reading to compete.
“It’s a great event,” Moreck said. “The atmosphere of this event is very nice. It’s fun to come to.”
Source: Berkshire mont
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