Pikes Peak Sanctions New Testing Program For Automakers

First run in 1916, the Pikes Peak Worldwide Hill Climb is without doubt one of the oldest motorsport occasions on this planet. The 12.42-mile-long climb to the summit is known for its problem and hazard. Whereas your complete course has been paved for over a decade now, the 156-turn ascent continues to be as treacherous because it was over a century in the past. Nevertheless, Pikes Peak as an occasion has misplaced a few of its cachet in automotive tradition through the years relative to motorsport’s different status occasions, just like the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500.

This 12 months, organizers of the famend hill climb occasion have began conducting sanctioned closed-course periods for automakers outdoors of the normal Race to the Clouds competitors. This new testing program will give producers extra alternatives to push their equipment to the restrict all year long.

Fred Veitch, Board Chairman for the PPIHC, stated:

“Just like the Nürburgring and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the 12.42-mile course on Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain has change into a legendary and iconic racing venue. Not like these programs, it’s used solely in the future every year for the Race to the Clouds. With rising curiosity from automobile producers to show their racing know-how, now we have designed a program to facilitate personal testing on the mountain, outdoors of race day, to acquire a Licensed Course Time sanctioned by the PPIHC. We’re witnessing pleasure from a spread of producers, drivers and race groups serious about placing their automobile to the check.”

There have already been two notable Licensed Course Occasions up Pikes Peak because the one centesimal operating of the Race to the Cloud earlier this 12 months. In July, Simone Faggioli drove a Lamborghini Urus Performante up the hill climb in 10 minutes, 32.064 seconds. In September, David Donner drove the 000 “Triple Zero” Porsche 911 Turbo S to the summit in 9 minutes, 53.541 seconds. Each occasions have been sooner than the present Manufacturing SUV and Time Assault 2 Manufacturing class information, each set by Rhys Millen. Nevertheless, neither the course time set by the Urus nor the 911 Turbo S will go into the file guide.

Veitch clarified that the hill climb’s official information can solely be damaged in the course of the annual Race to the Clouds, irrespective of how briskly how anybody runs up Pikes Peak throughout a closed-course session. He stated, “The occasions captured throughout these periods should not race information, and don’t substitute any present PPIHC information which mirror occasions set in the course of the occasion, however they do supply the flexibility for groups to clock a Licensed Course Time, that means – similar race course, however underneath completely different circumstances, carried out on a pre-selected day.”

It’s clear that the Pikes Peak Worldwide Hill Climb need their Licensed Course Occasions to slide its approach into frequent automotive dialogue like official Nürburgring lap occasions. Ideally, it wish to see automakers market their autos as being examined on Pikes Peak. For the enduring hill climb, that type of promotion would permit Pikes Peak to occupy a extra distinguished place within the automotive world. Will it really work? I don’t know.