Ninety-six drivers made their way up Corkscrew Hill in vintage cars and modern race cars alike on Saturday, Aug. 23, making about 355 laps in celebration of Ohio’s rich sportscar history at the seventh annual Bellefontaine Hill Climb Revival.
Twenty-eight events have taken place on County Road 28 since the first sanctioned Hill Climb in 1953, making the Hill Climb the most prolific of Ohio’s public road races, Hill Climb Revival organizer Kurt Niemeyer said. The races originally took place from 1953 to 1974, and then the race revival began in 2019.
“Corkscrew Hill is the most authentic vintage driving experience, as the course is largely unchanged since the first competition in 1953,” Niemeyer said.
“The Logan County Engineer’s office has preserved the character of the road on the steepest of slopes, increasing the fascination amongst vintage car enthusiasts to bring their rare and unique vehicles and conquer Corkscrew Hill.”
Also around Ohio, Niemeyer noted the Southern Ohio Forest Rally and Put-In-Bay Road races are still active using portions of the original tracks and roads.
The Hill Climb weekend began at the Logan County History Center, and concluded Saturday afternoon and evening with a parade and car show in downtown Bellefontaine and festivities at the Holland Theatre. Twenty-six cars participated in the parade.
The Goshen Friends Church hosts the action on the day of the Hill Climb, keeping the participants fed, watered and taken care of throughout the day.
Local drivers made quite an impact on the Hill Climb Revival this year, bringing exciting machinery and adding a lot of energy to the day, the organizer noted.
Corkscrew Hill resident Mike Lockwood ran a bone stock 1973 MG Midget to the top step of the podium in his class. From around the corner, Gordon Kinney brought a spectacular tube framed Sunbeam Tiger with 6.1 fire breathing liters of Ford Power under the hood.
Peak Motorsports, a group of enthusiasts from the area, contributed heartily to the event, staffing traffic control and participant assistance along the return route to the bottom of the hill and the busy area at the bottom of the hill.
Family-oriented the Slone Family manned a station, while the Notarmuzi Family kept the participants on track at the Obelisk in Pickrelltown.
Peak Motorsports drivers Lance Notarmuzi Jr, Gino Notarmuzi, Levi Slone, Skyler Slone and Lance Notarmuzi Sr. exemplified the spirit of the Hill Climb, according to the organizers.
Levi Slone and Skylar Sone both achieved the quickest time in their classes, while Lance Sr and Gino Notarmuzi matched that feat in their classes. Lance Notarmuzi Jr. was awarded the RaceKeeper Data Acquisition and in-car camera system.
About two weeks ago, Skylar Slone experienced a terminal damage to his car’s engine at an autocross event. Skylar’s friends in Peak Motorsports jumped into action with brother, Levi Sone and Lance Notarmuzi Jr. finding a replacement engine for the vintage Honda Civic and swapping in the good engine in time to climb Corkscrew Hill.
The New England MG T Register and National MG A Register Ohio Chapters hosted their annual Gathering of the Faithful in Bellefontaine in conjunction with the Hill Climb bring several dozen examples of the famed British Sports Car to the area.
The MG enthusiasts held their keynote dinner in the Logan County Transportation Museum enjoying the surroundings immensely. The MG Ohio Chapters brought their friends from the Central Ohio MG Owners to volunteer at the Hill Climb.
A total of about 35 volunteers made the event possible this year, Niemeyer said.
The eighth annual Hill Climb Revival is set for Saturday Aug. 22, 2026.
