At Pikes Peak Hill Climb, a drive to win and be noticed
Across the world, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is known as one of the most prestigious car races, a treacherous 12.4-mile sprint up one of the highest summits of the Rockies. But for many people in the United States, and even some in its host city, Colorado Springs, the race is hardly known at all.
“There are people who have lived here their whole lives — they even like motor sports — but if you mention the hill climb to them, they'll say, `Oh, is that the thing where you run up the mountain?'” said Tommy Boileau, a 28-year-old Colorado Springs native who was set to drive in this year's race. “Then you meet people from Japan, Germany and France who absolutely idolize this place. It's crazy.”
As the hill climb celebrated its 100th running last weekend, it found itself in a peculiar situation: a celebrated global race that remains a niche curiosity in the U.S., where hill climbs and rally racing — in which drivers set fast time trials on dirt, gravel and paved public roads — have never quite caught on at a mainstream level.
“In the world of motorsports, rally is second only to Formula One,” said Ken Block, a 54-year-old American rally driver. “Unfortunately, in the U.S., we only have NASCAR and drag racing as our staples.”
Last weekend was going to be Block's first time competing at Pikes Peak, though an engine failure during practice runs forced him to withdraw from the race. He has vowed to return next year, however, and said that motorsports fanatics like himself consider the hill climb akin to Formula One's famed Monaco Grand Prix.
“Just like F1 has Monte Carlo, rally and hill climbs have Pikes Peak, with its own unique story and tradition,” he said. “It's what first got me into rally when I discovered the race as a teenager back in the `80s. There's simply nothing like it in the world.”
Founded in 1916 by entrepreneur Spencer Penrose — and originally conceived as a tourist attraction to promote his hotel, the Broadmoor — Pikes Peak is the second-longest-running race in the U.S. behind the Indianapolis 500. While it gained some acclaim in the 1960s, when Mario Andretti and Bobby Unser earned victories, it became internationally renowned in the 1980s as global rally champions caught wind of its immense challenge.
The race is certainly not for the faint of heart: Drivers can reach speeds of more than 140 mph as they climb 4,725 feet up to 14,115 feet, negotiating 156 turns, some along steep cliffs with no guard rails. There have been seven deaths in the event's history, and race organizers discontinued the motorcycle division in 2021, two years after a rider died.
“Obviously there's a fear factor,” Boileau said. “When you strap that helmet on come race day, it could be the last thing that you ever do, and that's a tough pill to swallow.”
But that challenge is precisely what attracts international drivers and manufacturers. Since the 1980s, car companies like Audi, Peugeot, and Suzuki have built custom vehicles for the race, and international rally stars like Sebastien Loeb of France and Nobuhiro Tajima of Japan have won — and set records in the process.
While the race does feature a number of car classes, including openwheel and stock car divisions, it is best known for its unlimited class: exotic cars built specifically for Pikes Peak with essentially no regulations aside from basic safety measures.
“It's a proving ground, and one of the last races that's unruled,” said David Donner, a 57-yearold driver from Colorado Springs and three-time Pikes Peak champion.