The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the second oldest motor sports race in America and a long-standing tradition in Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Region. First competed in 1916 and this year marks the 90th running of the "Race to the Clouds."
In 2012, the race will take place on Sunday, July 8 with race related events all week long. Fan Fest, on Friday, July 6 in downtown Colorado Springs, will feature motorcycle jumpers, two beer gardens, a chili cook-off, live bands and the Denver Bronco Cheerleaders and is expected to draw over 35,000 spectators.
The race is run on a 12.42 mile course with 156 turns that begins at 9,390 feet and finishes at the 14,110 foot summit of America’s Mountain; Pikes Peak! As the drivers climb toward the summit, the thin air slows reflexes and saps muscle strength. The thin air also robs engines of 30% of their power at the summit. Competitors and vehicles must be in top shape simply to finish...let alone win!
This year the race has 16 classes and features a variety of automotive, exhibition, open wheel, super stock car, and motorcycle classes with a field approaching 200 competitors.
Race Week begins Tuesday, July 3 with Tech Inspection at Pikes Peak International Raceway (PPIR) in Fountain, Colorado. Every vehicle undergoes a rigorous inspection with a concentration on safety issues. That evening there will be meetings for all the riders and drivers at the Raceway. Practice and qualifying takes place Wednesday through Friday from 5:30 to 9:30 am on Pikes Peak.
The current record is 09:51.278 and was set by Nobuhiro Tajima in 2011.
There is no other race course in the world like the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. That is why it attracts race crews that are willing to spend several hundred thousand dollars and months of preperation to compete for the right to be the King of the Mountain.
