Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Seeing Surge in Entries for 92nd Running in 2014

Entries For The 92^nd Running Of The Pikes Peak nternational Hill Climb Coming In At High Speed

Colorado Springs, December 12, 2013--Though the famed Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is still months away, drivers and motorcycle racers are registering at a fast pace.

The 92^nd edition of the Race to the Clouds on Pikes Peak, America’s Mountain, will take place on Sunday, June 29 and already, 31 automobiles and 15 motorcycles and their competitors have registered to take part. All registrations, as always are subject to approval by the PPIHC Race Committee.

The high profile Unlimited Division has six registrations submitted, including Mark Rennison of Great Britain, who was fourth last year in the division that became legend when French driver Sebastien Loeb drove his 2013 Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak edition to the all-time record of a stunning 8:13.878.

 
 

 

Sebastian Loeb set the all-time record at Pikes Peak during the 91st running in 2013. Photo courtesy of Colorado Springs Sports Group, by Ford McClave.

 

 

 

 

Rennison piloted his 1986 Ford RS 200 Evolution to a respectable clocking of 9:46.634 in taking fourth behind the jaw-dropping time set by Loeb. This will be the third appearance by Rennison, the British two-time Rally Cross Champion, at Pikes Peak.

Also returning in the popular Unlimited Division are Spencer Steele of Denver, who was fifth last year with a time of 9:57.513, Steve Goeglein of Falcon, Colorado, eighth place with a time of 10:36.570 and veteran driver Kris Antal of Hungary.

Steele has three Pikes Peak titles to his credit, winning the Open Wheel Division in 2010, 2011 and 2013 before moving up last summer to the Unlimited field. He will drive a 2013 PVS Special this time around as he challenges the big cars.

Another Pikes Peak veteran favorite coming back is Jeff Zwart of Corona del Mar, California, who finished third last year in the loaded Time Attack Division with a time of 10:13.856 behind winner Paul Dallenbach (9:46.001) and second-place driver David Donner (9:53.581).

Zwart won the Time Attack 2WD division title in 2010 in a 2007 Porsche and won championships in the former High Performance Showroom Stock division in 1994, 1995, 1998 and 2002, each time in a Porsche. He will be racing in the Time Attack 2 class this summer in a 2013 Porsche 911.

The 2014 Open Wheel Division, won last year by Clint Vahsholtz, so far includes last year’s third place-place finisher Rodney O’Maley of Colorado Springs and fourth-place entry Andy Figueroa of Pueblo, Colorado. It will be Figueroa’s eighth appearance on the mountain after his rookie year in 2005.

In the Motorcycle Divisions, two-time Sidecar champion John Wood of Victorville, California, has signed up to compete once again. He won the division in 2011 and 2012 and was sixth last year. Wood will race a 1996 Windle F2 this time. He held the class record of 11:41.406 until it was snapped by 2013 winner Wade Boyd, who clocked 11:26.987 to claim the Sidecar crown.

The popular PPIHC Fan Fest, which annually draws more than 30,000 race fans, will take place on Friday, June 27 this year.

The 2014 Divisions and Classes

 

Electric Car Division – The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb recognizes the future of electricity in the automotive industry.  It is through this effort that constructors of electric vehicles may showcase their engineering excellence of these truly unique vehicles. There are 2 classes within the Electric Division.

 

Electric Modified Class – This class features the cutting edge of electric technology as it applies to racing. 

 

Electric Production Class – This class will feature Production Electric vehicles that are readily available to the public. Very few modifications are allowed.

 

Pikes Peak Challenge Car Division – A new division for 2014, the Pikes Peak Challenge Division will encompass several different class options.

 

Exhibition Class – In keeping with the mission statement of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, specifically to “demonstrate advancements in the practical application of motor sports technology,” the race encourages vehicles that don’t fit into one of its regular divisions to enter in the Exhibition Division. 

 

Open Wheel Class – The traditional race car on Pikes Peak. Their appearance ranges from an Indy car style to a dune buggies. Open wheel cars have competed in every Pikes Peak International Hill Climb since the first race in 1916. This is a very fast division. 

 

Pikes Peak Open Class – These cars may look like stock cars from the outside, but major modifications can be done to their engines, transmissions and suspension. 

 

Pikes Peak Vintage Car/Truck Class – These vintage race cars make us remember back to the glory days of Pikes Peak with cars like; Mustang, Cobra, Mercury and Lincoln too. Eligible cars are those manufactured in 1990 or earlier. 

 

Time Attack Division – A division for production based two and four wheel drive vehicles, this division features the Time Attack 1 Class and Time Attack 2 Class.  Eligibility is restricted to close-bodied four-wheel vehicles.

 

Time Attack 1 Class – This class will feature production based race vehicles with more modification and specialization than is seen in the Time Attack 2 Class. 

 

Time Attack 2 Class – This class will feature production based race vehicles with minor modifications allowed. 

Unlimited Division – Anything goes in the Unlimited Division as long as it passes safety inspection. The Unlimited Division features the most exotic vehicles, most of them built specifically for this race. These race cars have the best chance of setting a new overall race record.  In 2011 Nobuhiro Tajima finally broke the elusive ten minute barrier setting an overall course record with a time of 09:51.278.  today the record is held by Sebastien Loeb with a time of 8:13.878.

 

Pikes Peak Lightweight Motorcycle Division – A popular class with many riders. Two-stroke and four-stroke engines are eligible. Many older design machines of this size are successful in this race, but bikes off the showroom floor can also be competitive. Single and twin-cylinder engines are allowed.

 

Pikes Peak Middleweight Motorcycle Division – New for 2014, this division will feature a wide range of motorcycles. Competitors are eligible to enter bikes with 1-4 cylinders and a displacement of up to 849cc.

 

Pikes Peak Open Motorcycle Division – This is the top motorcycle division offered at Pikes Peak. This division will feature some of the fastest bikes available today.

 

Pikes Peak Electric Motorcycle Division – The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb recognizes the future of electricity in the automotive industry.  It is through this effort that constructors of electric vehicles may showcase their engineering excellence of these truly unique vehicles. There are 2 classes within the Pikes Peak Electric Motorcycle Division.

 

Electric Modified Class – This class features the cutting edge of electric technology as it applies to racing.

 

Electric Production Class – This class will feature Production Electric vehicles that are readily available to the public. Very few modifications are allowed.

 

Pikes Peak Challenge Motorcycle Division – A new division for 2014, the Pikes Peak Challenge Motorcycle Division will encompass several different class options.

 

Pikes Peak 250 Class – Don’t let the size fool you. There are motorcycles with bigger engines on Pikes Peak, but the Pikes Peak 250 class is fast and competitive. These machines are usually factory built for racing with two-stroke and four-stroke single or twin cylinder engines 

 

Quad Class – Essentially four-wheeled motorcycles, these machines are limited only by tread width and the use of an ATV engine of 500cc or less. Stability is aided by extreme weight-shifting by the rider. Cornering velocity is very high while the relative smallness of the engines hold down outright speed. 

 

Sidercar Class – Three wheels, two riders (“driver” and “passenger”), and one winning mission. The passenger (or aptly named “the monkey”) lets it all hang out in the turns, making for some interesting action. Sidecars are always a crowd favorite. 

 

UTV/Exhibition Powersport – This division includes Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTVs) and other vehicles that don’t fit perfectly in other Pikes Peak Divisions. 

 

Pikes Peak Vintage Motorcycle – This division includes 650cc-750cc 4-stroke twin cylinder bikes that would qualify for current AHRMA events.

 

Visit The PPIHC Home Page at  www.ppihc.com

 

Mike Moran

Senior Media Consultant

The Colorado Springs Sports Corporation

1631 Mesa Ave., Suite E

Colorado Springs, CO 80906

(719) 634-7333, ext.1011

mike@thesportscorp.org