The discovery of a gold seam in the middle of the Colorado Mountains in July 1858 sparked off the arrival in the Pikes Peak region of some 100 000 fortune-hunters looking to fulfil their dreams. Numerous disillusionments later, the mountain has since recovered its former tranquillity and is today a designated National Historic Landmark. Yet the peace of Pikes Peak is broken once a year by an invasion every bit as boisterous as the infamous Gold Rush.
When a trail to the summit was completed in 1916, a new generation of adventurers flocked to the site looking for a different type of glory, and today more than 150 drivers get behind the wheel in a host of sometimes implausible vehicles to take on the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, the world’s highest competition of its sort and America’s oldest motorsport fixture apart from the Indy 500. The principle behind the so-called ‘Race to the Clouds’ is simple and involves each competitor taking turns to drive the 20 km course that twists its way along the mountain’s flanks to reach its summit at 4 301m in the shortest time possible.
The start line is located at an altitude of 2 800 m, which means that competitors face an altitude difference of some 1 500 m. Meanwhile, the lack of oxygen is a challenge not only for the engines – which can lose up to 30 % of their power but also for the drivers who must remained fully focused on the 156 cliff-lined corners. It is an exercise which calls for dexterity and meticulous preparation.
Over the years, the dirt trail has been gradually paved and the 2012 event was the first to take place entirely on asphalt. Unsurprisingly, last year’s competition produced a new outright record for the course when Rhys Millen (Hyundai Genesis Coupé) produced a 9-minute 46.164-second run, half the time required for the first ascension in 1916.
The entry is broken down into more than 20 classes covering vehicles as varied as cars, bikes, sidecars and trucks. The premier category is the ‘Unlimited’ class in which Sébastien Loeb will compete in a Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak special. A number of official test sessions are organised to enable competitors to familiarise themselves with the course, but only one section at a time. The only opportunity they get to tackle the route in one go is when they do it for real on their timed run.
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
156 corners
Course length: 19.9 km long (now entirely paved)
Start line altitude: 2 865 m
Finish line altitude: 4 301 m
Course record: 9-minute 46.164-seconds (Rhys Millen, Hyundai Genesis Coupé)
Inaugural event: 1916. This year is the 91st edition.
Peugeot won the event in 1988 with Ari Vatanen, Jean-Louis Mourey’s film ‘Climb Dance’ released in 1989 tells the story of Ari Vatanen’s victory in 1988. Here is that video.
In 2011, Nobuhuro ‘Monster’ Tajima (Suzuki SX4) was the first driver to complete the hill climb in less than 10 minutes (9-minutes 51.278-seconds). Here is footage from that incredible run.
