The uphill competition is the main event of the "Hill Climb Festival Weekend".   It's what every other event is built and scheduled around.   It's what has put Newport on the map, made it famous.   It is a timed antique auto (drag) race based on the time it takes to climb the Newport Hill from a standing start at the bottom of the hill to the finish line at the top of the hill 1,800 feet away.

Without the Hill Climb hundreds of antique car owners and drivers would not have the bragging rights to tell the world "I have run the hill!".

The competition is always on Sunday, but most drivers will be starting running the hill for practice on Saturday morning and thousands will be camped out in their chairs along the course all day long to watch those who make the hill and those who don't.