Imperial Valley press., 1931-07-18
STUDEBAKER HILL
CLIMBING DRIVE
MEETS SUCCESS

The country wide assault on hills.
launched several weeks ago BY Alb
jenkins. noted race driver, with a
stock free wheeling Studebaker
President Eight roadster, has been
100 per cent successful thus far. In
10 attempts, supervised and timed
by the American Automobile asso-
citation. jenkins and his champion
mount have set 10 new records.
jenkins is out to smash every offi-
cial hill climbing mark in America.
His most important conquest was
the record breaking ascent Of Sum-
nit Mountain near Uniontown, Pa.
For years daring drivers have
braved the serpentine twists and
turns of this 3-mile grade to test
the climbing power of their cars.
Jenkins attempt was made at
night to avoid the dangers of day.
| time traffic. Squalls of sleet and
snow made conditions particularly
unfaVorable, yet Jenkins was able
! to send his car roaring to the crest
Of the hill in minutes, Is seconds.
/ clipping II 2-5 seconds from the
I best previous mark and establishing
a new all-time record for the ascent.
An official representative OF the a.
A. A. accompanied him on his ex-
citing dash.
/ Previous to this, Jenkins had set
new records up three famous hills
in Washington, D. c. One of these,
Majors Hill, has been included IN
the unofficial hill climb circuit
followed by various factory teams as
far back as 1908. jenkins completed
the ITO of a mile 10 per cent grade
in 43 3-5 seconds, to beat the for
mer A. A A. record of 49 l-5 Sec
onds made by non-stock car.
Heretofore, numerous attempts to
lower this mark have met with fail
ure Later, Jenkins added to his
laurels by breaking existing records
up Sherman Avenue Hill and Tai
bert Street Hill both 20 per cent
grades.
Proceeding to Baltimore, Md,
jenkins then pitted his car against
the 18 per cent grade of Avalon Hill.
This incline is regarded as severe
test of high gear performance.
from flying start. jenkins and his
Studebaker negotiated the 1033-
foot ascent in 90 seconds flat in
high gear. A high gear record was
also established on nearby Quaker
Hill.
/ Several days later. jenkins and
the President shattered two records
in Philadelphia, Pa, negotiating Saw
Mill Road, 2640 feet long, with an
, approximate grade of IA per cent,
in 46 AS seconds, and Hermits
Lane, 1881 feet over l6 per cent
incline, in 80 2-5 seconds. Both
climbs were in high gear.
jenkins remaining feats were
, performed in Connellsville, Pa, and
5 Cumberland, Md, where he set new
r records up Springfield Hill anc
Town Hill Mountain respectively
f The former, a severe winding 13 pei
s cent grade ITO of a mile long. wa.
e made in 55 AS seconds. The lattel
} is one OF the best known climbs OF
2 the trans-Allegheny highway and /.
, extremely steep and winding, witt
: plenty of SWitchbacks. The | Tit
mile distance over a II per cen,
grade, was completed in l minute
; 50 2-5 seconds.
; According to Rogers and Tison
. Studebaker dealers here, Jenkins
! official Stuedbaker roadster was Sc.
! lected at random from a Stude-
baker dealers showroom by Amer.
| ican Automobile association Off.
} cials. After purchase, it was com.
5 pletely disassembled, minutely
| checked by them as to its stock
status, and then reassembled and
sealed.
In travelling from one climb tc
another, the official car is conveyed
on special Studebaker 2-ton truck
| in which the A. A. A. representa-
tives ride. jenkins accompanies tha
. truck in second President Eight
; roadster. In this manner, every
precaution is taken to eliminate the
possibility of dispute as to the stock
at1tc nj fhn