Norton, VA

2023 Flag Rock HillClimb

2023 Flag Rock HillClimb

Presented by Summit Racing Equipment, Backroads of Appalachia and Grassroots Motorsports

Hosted by the Appalachian HillClimb Series and Blue Ridge Region, SCCA
June 2-4, 2023
Flag Rock Recreational Area, Norton, VA

Join us to as we launch into Summer with the second round of the 2023 Appalachian HillClimb season in wonderful Norton, Virginia for the second annual Flag Rock HillClimb! Whether you are a driver, event team member or a fan, we are excited to have you be a part of this amazing event!

Friday FanFest - brought to you by Backroads of Appalachia

Our weekend kicks off in downtown Norton with the Friday evening FanFest, starting at 5pm. Come see all the competition cars on display, listen to live music and soak up all the fun and excitement that the smallest town in Virginia and SCCA Hillclimbing have to offer. There is something for everyone at FanFest - shopping, kids activities, food and beverages!

Spectator Information

The 2023 Flag Rock HillClimb is open to spectators!

Come check out one of Norton's most exciting weekends as the best drivers and fastest HillClimb cars in the southeast take on the hill.

Friday Night FanFest!

Join us in downtown Norton on Friday evening, 5pm-8pm for the Flag Rock HillClimb FanFest. See the cars, meet the drivers, listen to live music, and enjoy all that Norton, VA and the Appalachian HillClimb Series have to offer. While you are there, stop by the information booth and pick up your wristbands for the weekend. Wristbands are $5 for adults, kids are free!

How to get on the mountain:

Parking will be available at Burton High School and on Kentucky Ave, with buses leaving to go to the hill every 30 minutes. Wristbands can be picked up at the bus stop ($5 for adults, kids are free!). Shuttles start at 9am, and will run until runs are complete, approximately 4pm on Saturday and 3pm on Sunday.

PLEASE DO NOT attempt to drive to the course, there is not any available spectator parking on the hill.

Spectator Viewing Area:

The spectator viewing area is just uphill from the entrance to the Flag Rock Recreational Area. Buses will drop off here and can return you to town whenever you like. Food and restrooms will be available at the viewing area.

What to Bring:

Feel free to bring chairs, blankets, a small cooler - whatever you need to be comfortable for the day.

What NOT to Bring:

Bringing alcohol into the park is not allowed. Please do not bring pets, weapons or coolers larger than an 18 inches. Please be mindful that the bus is the best way on and off the mountain for spectators and pack and plan accordingly.

A note about kids:

Kids love HillClimbs and HillClimbs love kids. Please ensure that any child that you bring to the hill is always accompanied and supervised by an adult. Especially in the paddocks, there are lots of activity and excitement, it is extremely important that close attention is paid.


Join our Event Team

Want to do more than just watch? We've got a spot for you! The event team does everything from marshalling the course to managing traffic to handing out lunches. Travel cost assistance and lodging is available, and we provide lunches and Saturday night dinner. For more information visit: http://www.appalachianhillclimb.com/get-involved.html or just come to FanFest and meet one of our team leads! If you are ready to sign up, please do so here: https://www.motorsportreg.com/events/flag-rock-hillclimb-ii-recreation-area-scca-appalachian-hill-climb-series-499837


Entrant Information

If you are new to Appalachian HillClimb events, please start here: http://www.appalachianhillclimb.com/become-a-driver.html

Driver Registration for the 2023 Flag Rock HillClimb will open on April 17th at 6pm eastern. The event is open to 90 drivers. If you need help with you classing or have questions about safety equipment, please visit: http://www.appalachianhillclimb.com/rules-and-classes.html


Classing and Records

When registering, please select your AHS class - if you do not know your class, you may select “help me,” and we will contact you to determine your class. In addition to the AHS classes, PMHC does keep supplemental records. If you would like to challenge a supplemental record, just select that classification, in addition to your official AHS class.


Paddock Rules and Etiquette

This event paddocks in downtown Norton and vehicles are shuttled to the start line, approximately 1 mile by police escort. If your vehicle needs to not be shuttled, please let us know ASAP. There are very limited paddock spaces in the recreational area, at the course. In town, paddock space is extremely limited for this event and thus ALL of us working together to maximize the space we have is essential. Here are some tips to ensure we all have the best experience possible.

  • This event paddocks in downtown Norton and vehicles are shuttled to the start line, approximately 1 mile by police escort. If your vehicle needs to not be shuttled, please let us know ASAP. There are very limited paddock spaces in the recreational area, at the course. In town, paddock space is extremely limited for this event and thus ALL of us working together to maximize the space we have is essential. Here are some tips to ensure we all have the best experience possible.
  • DO NOT ARRIVE BEFORE 10AM on Friday expecting to load in without receiving prior permission from the event lead.
  • PLEASE BRING THE SMALLEST RIG YOU CAN and/or plan to drop non-essential vehicles/trailers in a satellite parking area. We do have space for larger rigs, however, it is further away from the event center so you may want to ensure you have a pit vehicle.
  • Please pre-plan to minimize your footprint. Examples include - if you have a truck and enclosed trailer, please plan to find/make a friend (or two) who can park with you, alongside your rig- if you intend to set up a tent or awning, plan to park a car under it.

Run Groups and Two Driver Cars

Drivers will be put into one of 3 run groups, grouped by class and run in order. Second drivers will be put in the group after their classes group. Example, if Street Unlimited is in Group 2, Street Unlimited second drivers will run in Group 3. Second Drivers from Classes in Group 3 will run in Group 1. Two driver vehicles may stay in the course area between runs to ready for the next drivers run. There is limited parking adjacent to the start area for two driver car support vehicles.

FanFest

The Friday afternoon FanFest is an extremely important element of the Flag Rock HillClimb weekend. As such, it is expected that ALL competition vehicles will be in attendance unless permission to be excused is granted. Competition vehicles will line on Main Street, adjacent to the paddock, starting at 5pm - it is expected they will remain on display until at least 7:00pm.

Lodging, Food and Camping

Provided Event Team Lodging and Travel Cost Assistance

For those on the event team, AHS is happy to provide shared room lodging at the Inn at Wise. Just let us know you would like a room while registering and let us know if you have a preferred roommate. For event team members who arrange their own lodging, camping or otherwise- travel assistance is available, $25 to support one day of the event, $100 for those who support 2 or more days.

Visit the Inn at Wise online at https://innatwise.com/

Preferred Lodging

The Inn at Wise is our preferred lodging option for the weekend. If you book before May 19th and mention Flag Rock HillClimb at time of booking, you will receive a $20% discount on your accommodations. To reserve a room, call 276.321.7600.

Camping

Vehicle camping is allowed in the paddock, but please keep your set up minimalistic. For those wishing to tent camp, or if you would just prefer to camp in a traditional campground (with a great view) there are Camper and Tent spaces available in the Flag Rock Recreational Area, just off the course. Campsites have 30amp 110 hook ups, HOT showers and some sites do have water hook up. Sites are first come, first serve but there is plenty of room!

Dining in Town

There will be a worker dinner on Saturday evening in the Expo Center in downtown Norton. Everyone is encouraged to enjoy downtown Norton's food and beverage option!

As always, if you have questions, please ask at appalachianhillclimb@gmail.com