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<p>LAUREL RUN &#8212; When Mary Sincavage married her husband Steve, little did she know what she was in for &#8230; the in as in a driver&#8217;s seat racing up the one-mile Giants Despair Hillclimb.</p><p>The 113th historic hill climb race is in its second day of action on E. Northampton St., Laurel Run where over 100 racers attempt to slay the tricky 6-turn, 650-foot elevation hill, 1-mile road coarse.</p><p>The renowned race as seen victors such automotive legends Carroll Shelby (1956), Roger Penske (&#8217;59) and Oscar Koveleski (&#8217;66, &#8217;69, &#8217;75-&#8217;77, &#8217;79) and later multiple title-holders like John Halbing, Ron Moreck, Darryl Danko, and course record holder, John Burke (38.024 in 2014).</p><p>Steve and Mary Sincavage, of Larksville, are the only husband/wife team to drive the race. Steve has been trying to conquer the course for 29 years while its been nine years for Mary.</p><p>The two alternate drives behind the wheel of a 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, one of the fastest production cars in the Corvette stable.</p><p>The Sincavage&#8217;s car competes in the Street Prepared class, meaning race vehicles can be street driven which is exactly what the Sincavages do when they peel the numbers and logos off the paint.</p><p>Steve and Mary, both in their late 50s, have had great success in running the only race on their calendar for the year.</p><p>Last year, out of 110 drivers, Mary finished 10th, becoming the highest female finisher in race history making her queen of the hill. Steve&#8217;s personal best was 43.6.</p><p>&#8220;The first year we were together I put her in the car,&#8221; Steve said.</p><p>Mary didn&#8217;t take a liking to the car at first, according to Steve. &#8220;I can&#8217;t do this, I don&#8217;t want to do this,&#8221; Mary told Steve.</p><p>&#8220;I was scared out of my mind,&#8221; Mary said on her very first attempt at driving nine years ago. &#8220;Well, I was playing with the big boys now. I was scared and I did not want to do it again. I did not get the bug immediately.&#8221;</p><p>Eventually Steve sent Mary to four-month racing program at Bertil Roos racing school at the Pocono International Raceway in Long Pond were she was able to learn how to handle a car.</p><p>&#8220;I went to racing school and they taught me; I didn&#8217;t know I never knew how to drive,&#8221; Mary said. &#8220;They taught me how to drive; when to brake, where to brake, where my hands should be on the wheel, what I should be thinking and how far ahead I should be looking. My confidence level went from 40% to 100%.&#8221;</p><p>When Mary ran her best time ever finishing at the 10th spot, she felt she arrived as a driver.</p><p>&#8220;Last year, in year 8, all of a sudden it clicked, it clicked and I felt confident enough to hit the pedal,&#8221; Mary said.</p><p>Each year that the Sincavages race Giants Despair, it&#8217;s a family affair. Mary, the mother of five children, always has some of her children at the event.</p><p>Mary&#8217;s daughter Tammy Gregorowicz, 36, along with her husband Don and 9-year old son Sammy were at the event Saturday.</p><p>&#8220;We were all a little bit afraid for her that what&#8217;s going to happen when she went up that hill,&#8221; Tammy said on the very first time she saw her mother in a race car. &#8220;But over the years we&#8217;ve become really confident in her ability and she gets better and better.&#8221;</p><p>Even though Tammy would never attempt to race at Giants Despair, her mom would love to see her get behind the wheel.</p><p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t think I would try it but my mom would like us to experience it,&#8221; Tammy said.</p><p>Tammy&#8217;s son Sammy has been watching his grandmother race since the day he was born.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m pretty surprised she goes that fast,&#8221; Sammy said the first time he saw his grandmother race. &#8220;It felt like lightning.&#8221;</p><p>To prepare for this year&#8217;s race, Mary said she was as cool as cucumber the week before going into race day.</p><p>&#8220;I didn&#8217;t sleep too well last night, though, but I try to keep it cool,&#8221; Mary said. &#8220;My husband said I should meditate about wiping everything out of my mind, and focusing, focusing and he&#8217;s the one who got me to where I am today, for real, so what he said is what I take at 100% the truth.&#8221;</p><p>At the end of day one and four trips to the top of the hill, Mary&#8217;s best time was 45.704 and was edged out by Steve&#8217;s time of 45.003 for ninth and 10th overall best runs of the day.</p><p>The best time of the day went to Mark Aubele driving a 1997 BMW M3 with a time of 42.559.</p><p>Drivers will try to improve on times when day two gets underway at 9 a.m. today with racing concluding at 5 p.m.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Dozens of driver&#8217;s tents dot the area adjacent to the starting line at the 113th Giants Despair Hillclimb held at E. Northampton St., Laurel Run on Saturday. The day of action starts at 9 a.m. today. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_Giants-Despair-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Dozens of driver&#8217;s tents dot the area adjacent to the starting line at the 113th Giants Despair Hillclimb held at E. Northampton St., Laurel Run on Saturday. The day of action starts at 9 a.m. today. </caption0><photoCredit0>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_Giants-Despair-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Steve Sincavage prepares to get behind the wheel with his driver wife Mary in the wings waiting for her turn to drive Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_Giants-Despair-2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Steve Sincavage prepares to get behind the wheel with his driver wife Mary in the wings waiting for her turn to drive Saturday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_Giants-Despair-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Steve Sincavage&#8217;s second attempt at Giants Despair bottomed out losing the wheel well lining as he sped up the 650-foot elevation. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_Giants-Despair-3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Steve Sincavage&#8217;s second attempt at Giants Despair bottomed out losing the wheel well lining as he sped up the 650-foot elevation. </caption2><photoCredit2>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_Giants-Despair-4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Course worker Shawn McComb of Pittsburgh picks up the wheel-well lining of Steve Sincavage&#8217;s 2017 Chevy Corvette when his car bottomed out. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_Giants-Despair-4.jpg</photo3><caption3>Course worker Shawn McComb of Pittsburgh picks up the wheel-well lining of Steve Sincavage&#8217;s 2017 Chevy Corvette when his car bottomed out. </caption3><photoCredit3>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_Giants-Despair-5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">It&#8217;s Mary Sincavage&#8217;s turn to drive the hill with husband Steven helping her strap in on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_Giants-Despair-5.jpg</photo4><caption4>It&#8217;s Mary Sincavage&#8217;s turn to drive the hill with husband Steven helping her strap in on Saturday. </caption4><photoCredit4>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Husband-wife team takes on Giants Despair</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Tony Callaio</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div>