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Login to post Forums » Off-topic discussion » Pike's Peak Hillclimb

July 21, 2009 12:28 p.m. Mental SuperDork

Its my last year here in Co, so i figured i should go here while I still can after missing it for the last 2 years.

What an epic gearhead mecca. Trust me, once in your life, you NEED to see this.

Left my house at 2 AM, to be in line at the gate before 3. Got there at 2:45, and theer were already about 20 cars in front of me. Nice bunch of young kids, sold me and my buddy a pair of extra advanced ticketts for $40 instead of the $45 at the gate. The gate for spectators opened at 4, and it was a 1/2 treck up to Devils Playground above the treeline. The only night camping is allowed on the mountian is the saturday before, so there were some excellent vantage spots already taken along the route, but I wanted to get to the top. Devil's playground is 12K feet and the highest you are allowed to drive up as a spectator. Some fo the camper were already there having left their campsites at 4, but we still got a great spot.

I am still adding pictures, but here: http://www.evilengineering.com/gallery/v/Mental/pikespeak/

The Friday before was Fanfest downtown, and I got some good pics from that, as well as the stunt show. I am still adding videos from the show, but I have some from the race as well. If you search for "ChristianMentalWard" on youtube, you can find my videos.
July 21, 2009 12:56 p.m. neon4891 SuperDork

looks like fun
July 21, 2009 1:41 p.m. modernbeat HalfDork

I was out there crewing for my girlfriend, Brianne Corn. She was outgunned and out of her league running in the Pro750 motorcycle class against guys with multiple national and world titles and on a motard converted and hopped up '93 Honda XR600 against Aprillas and KTMs fifteen years newer.

Still, we learned a lot, had fun, and met a bunch of cool people.

This event is only second to Bonneville Speed Week in terms of cool people, machinery, and competition. We'll be back next year.
July 21, 2009 1:46 p.m. Keith SuperDork

My wife was really bummed we didn't get to go this year, as she wanted to see Grunholm drive. Next year for sure.

One of the guys I used to run with on the track did unbelievably well last year. Every time I'd go for a ride with him on the track, I'd step out realizing that I was simply puttering around.
July 21, 2009 11:49 p.m. jgp1843 HalfDork

And one of the best things about the Peak is that you can get close to the cars when they are running. Really close. When I was covering the race for GRM (well, Auto-X back in those days) in 1987, for a while I was using a 24-mm lens and one of my photos shows about 1/3 of Vatanen's Peugeot 205 Turbo 16. Think about that. He was closer than I expected to my position - like, about 3 feet away! Yes I moved back a bit before the next car came through!

Seriously, if you plan your location carefully, you can safely be within 15 feet of the cars. Just be aware, and ask your self, if this guy loses it, where is he going to end up? Then don't go there. Generally the best spots are on the inside of curves, somewhat above track level so you can see the lines the drivers take.

The fast guys (in any class) are really, really good. Put Clint Vahsholtz in an Unlimited car and he'd be similarly fast to Tajima or Gronholm. And try to get on a good corner or sequence of corners on one of the dirt segments while there still are some. That's where the real impressive action is. Some of my favorite sections are paved now, and it's not as dramatic.

But the OP is right, this is definately an event that everyone really needs to see at least once. I've been 19 times, seen every kind of weather imaginable: 6 inches of snow in Colorado Springs on July 3rd. Black ice and 50 mph crosswinds on the top section. Snow, rain, and 95 degreees, all on the same day - at the same time on different sections of the course! And every single year produced some breathtaking drives. Mark your calendars and go.
July 22, 2009 2:26 p.m. Karl La Follette Reader

My brother in law lives right there in Colo springs out the back door you can see the mountain , there is a super cool pool hall in colorado springs with a giant pool table like 8 ft by 12 or something like that is a real nice place to shoot pool and drink beer .
July 22, 2009 2:58 p.m. DILYSI Dave SuperDork

modernbeat wrote:

I was out there crewing for my girlfriend, Brianne Corn. She was outgunned and out of her league running in the Pro750 motorcycle class against guys with multiple national and world titles and on a motard converted and hopped up '93 Honda XR600 against Aprillas and KTMs fifteen years newer.

Still, we learned a lot, had fun, and met a bunch of cool people.

This event is only second to Bonneville Speed Week in terms of cool people, machinery, and competition. We'll be back next year.

She's co-driving Tommy Saunder's BM car this year, right? If so, I saw her run at Blytheville - FAST!
July 22, 2009 3:38 p.m. pinchvalve SuperDork

So much tarmac. I miss the old dirt days!
July 22, 2009 8:06 p.m. aussiesmg Dork

Running at any level at Pikes Peak is one of my dream events....I might have to check out the classes to see what I could compete in.
July 22, 2009 10:01 p.m. jgp1843 HalfDork

Probably the current class that is closest to what most of us do would be Time Attack - but check the Peak website frequently, as over the years there have been lots of class changes and many new categories that last a year or two and then are dropped for the next class that may build up future entries.

Be prepared to clean out your wallet, as entry fees and safety requirements are stiff (as they should be on the mountain).

GRM-type people have done well in the past. Three who come to mind from the autocross ranks are John Ames, Randy Pobst and Andy Pilgrim. There are lots more from the rally ranks. I've seen Spec Miatas in Time Attack a few years ago, so a certain Colorado Miata would probably work, but would need a turbo, or maybe some crossbreeding with Elvis to handle the altitude...

That year (2005, IIRC) also had mostly SCCA cars in the class, including an IT E30 M3, a WRX rallycross car, and the quickest was a rally-prepared Gallant VR4. The last couple of years have upped the ante, though, to win.
July 22, 2009 11:04 p.m. modernbeat HalfDork

DILYSI Dave wrote:

She's co-driving Tommy Saunder's BM car this year, right? If so, I saw her run at Blytheville - FAST!

Yep. And she often beats Tommy in his own car. Catch her (if you can) at Vail in a couple weeks. Then we'll both be at Bonneville for Speed Week, then she'll be at the Solo Nationals. We're still thinking about Baja this year and she'll be crewing for me at the Paris Rally in November.
July 22, 2009 11:06 p.m. modernbeat HalfDork

jgp1843 wrote:

Probably the current class that is closest to what most of us do would be Time Attack - but check the Peak website frequently, as over the years there have been lots of class changes and many new categories that last a year or two and then are dropped for the next class that may build up future entries.

Be prepared to clean out your wallet, as entry fees and safety requirements are stiff (as they should be on the mountain).

...I've seen Spec Miatas in Time Attack a few years ago, so a certain Colorado Miata would probably work, but would need a turbo, or maybe some crossbreeding with Elvis to handle the altitude...

Miatas are almost excluded by the rules. Time Attack requires a sedan or coupe and street tires. Open class seems to be the easiest to enter and do well.

The entry fees are a little steep, but they do pay a purse for the winners. The safety equipment isn't much more different than if you road race, rally or desert race. While there's been opposition to churning classes, apparently the PP-BOD will consider any class as long as you have a ruleset and five competitors.
July 23, 2009 12:50 a.m. Wally SuperDork

This looks like it could be fun
July 23, 2009 7:36 a.m. Rangeball Reader

I am still pondering this one.

Trying to get aerodynamics on that car just doesn't seem like it would work.
July 23, 2009 8:33 a.m. Wally SuperDork

Everyone else has one.
July 23, 2009 8:37 a.m. The Brown Stig SuperDork

Wally wrote:

This looks like it could be fun

I want to start Drift Daddy Performance and use THAT as my drift car!
July 23, 2009 3:44 p.m. Mental SuperDork

Yeah, there were 3 Cobra replicas. Check out my you tube channel for the vids of some of them.

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