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History Pikes Peak

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Ryan, Jul 23, 2008.

  1. Ryan
    Joined: Jan 2, 1995
    Posts: 21,633

    Ryan
    ADMINISTRATOR
    Staff Member

  2. striper
    Joined: Mar 22, 2005
    Posts: 4,498

    striper
    Member

    No time now but added to my faves list to peruse later. Thanks.
     
  3. The Unser family ruled this place for years. Racing up the coarse is said to be a ADDICTIVE PASSION!!! Flirting with that demon!!! Go figure>>>>.
     
  4. JeffreyJames
    Joined: Jun 13, 2007
    Posts: 16,628

    JeffreyJames
    Member
    from SUGAR CITY

    I had a similar experience this past weekend as we went to a Model A farm in the mountains. To to make a long story short, we got lost and ended up taking a trail/dirt road trying to make our way off the mountain only inches from the edge of the cliff. It took us about an hour to find our way to a more respectable elevation.

    Pikes Peak seems way cooler and those images are proof. Not something I think I would try but I would be more then willing to watch some people double down and get dirty....or dead. I could do without the latter though.
     

  5. hotrodladycrusr
    Joined: Sep 20, 2002
    Posts: 20,765

    hotrodladycrusr
    Member

    After more then 100 years, some of the road and hairpin turns still looks the same, dirt and gravel. Very cool photos, thanks for sharing.
     
  6. Revhead
    Joined: Mar 19, 2001
    Posts: 3,027

    Revhead
    Member
    from Dallas, TX

    A couple of years ago we drove up the road to pikes peak.. It's scary enough going 30 mph. about 50% of the time all you can see out the windshield is sky.
     
  7. xderelict
    Joined: Jul 30, 2006
    Posts: 2,475

    xderelict
    Member Emeritus

    Record sits at 10:01,broke by Team Suzuki.The record was 10:04 and stood for like 16 years.Takes a tourist more than an hour to drive up.Bonneville and Pikes Peak,way cool grass roots racing.Thanks for the post,the blown Harley Davidson entry in the 50s photos is bad ass.Google shows it as offy powered and did the climb in15:42:30 in 1953
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jul 23, 2008
  8. Not a HAMB car but relates to "The Mountain"
    We raced the Rally Car class in 1986 and during practice drove the car off the cliff at Engineers Corner. About a 30ft drop to a small "ledge" on the mountain that stopped the car - abruptly. Otherwise it was hundreds of feet to the bottom. The car spent the next 3 days at the local Dodge dealer on the frame machine getting straightened. We had to continue practice in a 1 ton extended wheelbase Dodge van. Quite embarrassing (they require you to run all practice sessions as a rookie). Did end up with a third in class after all that
    Dodge Omni GLH Turbo - the Shelby built creations
     
  9. Rand Man
    Joined: Aug 23, 2004
    Posts: 4,860

    Rand Man
    Member

    My question is: were the majority of the cars (in thse photos) purpose built for Pikes Peak, or were they regular race cars that also ran at the peak. The reason I'm asking is, I see several of the sprint cars running bolt-on wheels. A HAMB'er (Recycler) wants to run his speedster at Bonneville. He was told by Bonne officials that he couldn't run his car in a vintage sprint car class because it didn't have knock-off wheels. It's a bit off the topic of this post, but are we looking at one-race race cars?
     
  10. Jobe
    Joined: Oct 19, 2004
    Posts: 1,248

    Jobe
    Member
    from Austin, Tx

  11. tractorguy
    Joined: Jan 5, 2008
    Posts: 894

    tractorguy
    Member

    Great post and unbelievable photos. I have had the pleasure of camping on the mountain the night before the race, having a great campfire breakfast in the cool, crisp air and being in our favorite turns for the race.

    I managed to crawl into a large culvert that was under one of the turns and then shooting pictures as the cars literally drove over me.

    Real racers, real cars, real hot rod heritage and real racing on a beautiful mountain.

    Sadly, there is an environmental movement underway to PAVE the entire road because there is dirt, gravel etc. runoff damaging the pristine wildlife on the mountain.....so get out there before it is gone.
     
  12. ChevyGirlRox
    Joined: May 13, 2005
    Posts: 3,491

    ChevyGirlRox
    Member
    from Ohio

    Scary stuff for sure! Having driven up Pikes Peak a couple times, most recently last summer in a roadster, I can tell you first hand it can get unbelievably hairy even in a fairly modern day car. I would encourage everyone to do it at least once. And if you're brave, in your hot rod! I hope they NEVER pave the dirt and gravel parts, they are the most fun!

    Great photos, thanks for sharing.
     
  13. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    The open wheel class is now pretty much dominated by r/e cars now and the traditonal upright (championship class) is, I believe, gone. However the uprights still race the local CHCA hillclimbs. To answer your question, the upright cars are based on normal sprint cars but modified to allow the use of a transmission, turn L&R and bolt on wheels are common.
     
  14. Jack Daniel
    Joined: Mar 25, 2004
    Posts: 111

    Jack Daniel
    Member
    from Lavon, Tx

    If I remember correctly about half of the course has already been paved and they are working on the rest. My grandparents have a cabin in the mountains that they spend the summers at. You can sit on their front balcony with a good set of binoculars and watch the race. It's only possible to actually see the last 1/4 or so of the course (above the tree line).
     
  15. hotrodladycrusr
    Joined: Sep 20, 2002
    Posts: 20,765

    hotrodladycrusr
    Member

    Looks like a Corvette :D
     
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  17. mtlcutter
    Joined: Oct 6, 2007
    Posts: 364

    mtlcutter
    Member

    I was going to post this pic but you beat me to it. This one is my favorite. DAMN!!!!! Indeed.
     
  18. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,731

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    I'm bummed they stopped the Chimney Rock Hillclimb here in North Carolina, I think the last time it ran was '95. But there are a couple of newer ones that have been running. It's some of the coolest racing ever.... I always wanted to make it to Pikes Peak for the races...
     
  19. autobilly
    Joined: May 23, 2007
    Posts: 3,123

    autobilly
    Member

    Interesting site and great photo's. Thanks for bringing it to Ryan's attention Drewfus.
    Some may know, but there is a film of a guy named Ari Vatanen(?) racing up to the peak in very quick time, circa mid 8o's. The footage is taken both from the car and trackside. It takes the viewer on the full ride and gives a real idea of the experiance.
    Vatanen's crew chief was a guy called Jean Todt(?) who later went on to head the Farrari F1 team.
    I don't know how to find this film (I've seen it once on someones laptop), but recomend anyone who does to post, as it is well worth a look.
     
  20. 55olds88
    Joined: Jul 23, 2001
    Posts: 2,386

    55olds88
    Member

    Pikes is amazing, Rod Millen from NZ and his son do a pretty good job there and Monster from Japan they also come down to Queenstown NZ and do the local version not quite Pikes Peak but pretty good by all accounts.
    Ari was a pretty flash ralley driver in his day I think I may have seen that footage at some time, my brother had a heap to do with hte NZ ralley at that time.
     
  21. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    You tube has a bunch of clips of his drive. Just type in- Pikes Peak Ari- is close enough.
     
  22. autobilly
    Joined: May 23, 2007
    Posts: 3,123

    autobilly
    Member

    Thanks Rootie Kazoootie. The film's called something like Climb Dance.
     
  23. That is such an awesome race!!! The thing that always got me was the Semi's. I'd like to do it on a bike...
     
  24. Tiger II
    Joined: Mar 10, 2007
    Posts: 97

    Tiger II
    Member

    Guess those military jeep tires on the Vette just didn't cut it.
     
  25. HHRdave
    Joined: Jul 31, 2006
    Posts: 1,068

    HHRdave
    BANNED
    from So Cal

  26. Not as spectacular, but older, since 1906 is the Giant's Despair Hill Climb still held each July on the same public road near Wilkes-Barre PA. See www.pahillclimb.org. We would hang on the snow fence inches from the pavement. When I was a teenager the had Speed Week with the Hill Climb Friday and Saturday and drag races at the Forty Fort Airport Sunday. Many of the sports car types would also run the drags.
     
  27. chaddilac
    Joined: Mar 21, 2006
    Posts: 14,021

    chaddilac
    Member

    Funny how this pic really doesn't look like it was all that long ago!

    [​IMG]
     
  28. kdalters
    Joined: Mar 1, 2008
    Posts: 10

    kdalters
    Member

    A friend of mine here in Barnwell, Sc has the 1962 Galaxie that Curtis Turner drove in the '62 Hillclimb. I believe it was the first stock bodied car to go up in under 15 minutes. It was a Holman/ Moody car sponsored by the local Ford dealer in Denver, CO. An original 406 tripower car converted to single 4 bbl. to meet USAC rules.


    Kerry
     
  29. Ari Vatanen is a Finnish Rally driver who won the world championship in 1981. In 1985 he was almost killed running the Rally of Argentina and his recovery took 18 months. Then he came back to win more rallies, including Paris Dakar - 4 times. If you want to read a really intriguing book, get his autobiography titled "Every second counts" it's very interesting. He is an amazing man.
    I know this is a bit off topic but someone else started it :) And yes I am a big fan and did Rally against him in Carson City in 1986 on a World Championship Event, have a great picture of his Audi and my Mitsubishi together in front of the Nevada capitol.
     

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