Maryhill Loops Road is a great place for a hillclimb. The original event was run in 1955-1963, until the road became unsafe to continue. It had been organized and run by several different clubs over the span of 9 years. (See my page “Maryhill” for information on the road, its’ location and origin.)
The road was repaved in the late 1990s and in 1999 SOVREN (Society of Vintage Racing Enthusiasts) was granted permission to hold historic hillclimbs again on the site. SOVREN is a non-profit racing club based in the Pacific Northwest.
YouTube video with information on Sam Hill, the builder of the road, and videos of an event. Note that not all cars are “vintage” in this video.
Hillclimbing returned to Maryhill in 1999. It was vintage cars only, from the 1930s to 1970s.
Newspaper articles are from 1999 Oct 04, The Oregonian
The Maryhill Loops Vintage Hillclimb Association took over the organization and sponsorship of the climb and it is held in the Fall of each year. This is in conjunction with a Concours event at the Maryhill Museum grounds. The website address is : maryhillmuseum.org for information on the museum. The Car Show and Concours is usually on Saturday, with the competition vintage hillclimb on Sunday. It remains a SOVREN points event.
Copy of the Course Layout for the 2nd SOVREN event in 2000.
T-Shirt images of the 2001 and 2018 events
Article from Victory Lane Magazine, January 2024
2002 Oct 10, The Oregonian
Additional links to newspaper articles:
“Vintage Car Race Returning” 1999 Sept 24, Tri-City Herald
“Hill Climb Reunites Vintage Car, Owner” 1999 Sept 30, The Oregonian
“Vintage Hillclimb” 2002 Oct 03, The Oregonian
