Has anyone run the Pikes Peak Hillclimb?

[TheJDMan]

Now that the entire course is paved I'm interested in what it would take to enter the event. Has anyone here raced in this event in a PT style car?

[High Plains Mopars]

See our thread on this from last year.

https://www.pro-touring.com/showthread.php?89699-Have-any-Pro-Touring-cars-run-the-Pikes-Peak-Hill-Climb


Registration was limited to 150 entries this year. The competition list is already set for 2013 with the final 10 slots stll being reviewed by the application commitee.

[DartorDemon]

Now that the entire course is paved I'm interested in what it would take to enter the event. Has anyone here raced in this event in a PT style car?

Now that the asswipe hippies ruined the course, i really have no interest in running it.

[High Plains Mopars]

In all reality, no one in a pure street car is going to run it. The safety requirements are extensive and while there may be street appearing cars in it, have no doubt they are dedicated race cars. I'm sure someone will come along with a vehicle that blurs that line, but those will be the exceptions and not the normal class entries that run on the Peak.

Additionally, while PPIHC publishes the rule book, the Hillclimb commitee only directs the portions of the program they have traditionally run in hillclimbs, those being the open wheel cars and stock cars, with stock cars being tube frame chassis with panels similar to other forms of high level "stock car" racing, and some of the newer classes such as electric, unlimited, and exhibition. Most of the other divisions run under rule sub-sets borrowed from and enforced by other organizations. For example, the ralley cars run under SCCA rules, motorcycles under AMA, and the catagory most pro touring cars would fall under, Vintage, uses RMVR rules. That alone means it will be difficult, if not impossible, to get a coilover, highly modified PT style car into the vintage class where rules are set up to mimick those in force for the era the cars originated in. That means 15" rims, stock suspension and 10" brakes. If you have many high level mods that seem to proliferate the PT scene, they may put you into the time attack catagory where you will be going up against factory teams with huge budgets to assure dominance. If you just want to run in the your car in a class to say you did it, it may still be a tough time getting in as the Hillclimb commitee has a vested interest in producing a race with the fastest cars, with the widest appeal to a global audience and they aren't too interested in guys trying to run the Peak as a bucket list activity of something to do with their tricked out street car. Those days, like the gravel, are long gone.

An excerpt of technical inspections for Vintage cars is below;
Roll cage material
Roll cageThickness
Roll cage welds & gussets
Roll cage padding
Subfloor Thickness(.125ALUM .0625STEEL)
Drivers Compartment
Seat system
Seat belts( not to exceed 2 years old)
Steering Padding & Quick Release
Suspension Front & Rear
Brakes.Lines, 2 cylinder,4wheels
Fire bottle on board 2 nozzles
Fire extinguisher pits
Competitor uniform,gloves,shoes,
Arm restraints OPEN WHEEL
Helmet date Eye Protection Snell Memorial Foundation - SA2010SFI Foundation - Spec 31.2, Spec 31.2ABritish Helmet Standard - BS 6658: 1985
Head and Neck restraint
Master switch marked
Fuel shut off marked
Fuel Cell & Capacity
Tow hook (throttle)
2 Throttle springs
Firewall thickness (MIN .0375)
Verify Tire Bulletin


I'm sure there are probably a few PT cars that can meet those specs. However, it is going to require a significant amount of preparation to get a car into the program going forward. Not just in the actual construction, but in the classing, registration, and likely in coming years, the wait to actually be granted entry. Despite many people's perception that the race is lost with the paving, interest is at an all time high and requests exceeded available slots this year. It is possible in coming years that the event turns into a multi day race with qualifiers, but for now they are simply limiting the number of entrants allowed on the mountain for a single day's event.

[SicMonte]

I've never, and never really plan to, run on Pikes Peake but I have done some Hill Climb events with the Pennsylvania Hill Climb Association. The events are sanctioned by the SCCA so the tech involves a SCCA inspection.

Last year at the Polish Mountain Hill Climb I past tech but since I had no window net I was required to wear arm restraints. They also said that I would need to install a diagonal bar on my roll cage if I wanted to race next year. My car was classed in the SM class...or street modified.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/06/IMG_5991_zpsccbd8e80-1.jpg (http://s212.photobucket.com/user/SicMonte/media/IMG_5991_zpsccbd8e80.jpg.html)

[High Plains Mopars]

2 days of practice down on this years edition. 2 cars off the road already. While the pavement has increased availale grip, it has also narrowed the available racing surface and any misstep now can be catastrophic.

http://jalopnik.com/heres-whats-left-of-cody-lovelands-crashed-1000hp-pi-574109868

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c515YLpOvAc&feature=player_embedded

[Ron Sutton]

2 days of practice down on this years edition. 2 cars off the road already. While the pavement has increased availale grip, it has also narrowed the available racing surface and any misstep now can be catastrophic.

http://jalopnik.com/heres-whats-left-of-cody-lovelands-crashed-1000hp-pi-574109868

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c515YLpOvAc&feature=player_embedded

Holy cow. Both of those ugly.