January 2023

MONTHLY SHAKEDOWN

PPIHC Colorado License Plates Available Now

Live in Colorado? Show your love of the PPIHC year-round by purchasing a special license plate at the DMV.

The 2023 PPIHC Selection Committee meets this month to select competitors for the 101st Running of the Race to the Clouds. The 2023 competitor list will be announced by the end of the month.

Overnight Camping Permits are Going Fast! If you’re planning to camp on the mountain the night before the race, order your camping permits today! Only two areas have space remaining - 9 Mile (tent camping only) and Halfway Picnic Grounds.

Purchase Camping Permits

FRAMEABLE MOMENTS WITH LARRY CHEN

Pictured: Levi Shirley, 2022 during an early morning practice run.

Levi’s remarkable race day rollover, recovery and return to racing video was a highlight of the 2022 Race to the Clouds. Photo by Luis Garcia / Larry Chen Photo Team

“I like it because it showcases the unique vehicles that compete on Pikes Peak. This car is not necessarily going to break any records, but a lot of competitors are proud to just partake in the race.”

Luis Garcia

Connect with Larry Chen

PIKES PEAK 101

With over 100 years of racing history on Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain there is so much to learn, starting with the basics:

1916 – First year the race was conducted on the recently-improved carriage road to the top of Pikes Peak

1917 – 1919 – World War I interrupts racing on Pikes Peak

1935 – In 1935 management of the Pikes Peak highway changed hands. Without a promoter and organizer, Chevrolet stepped in to prove the power and endurance of their heavy-duty trucks. Several runs were made by each. W. P. “Wild Bill” Bentrup and Harry Hartz were behind the wheel. Research conducted by Stan DeGeer, the first to officially document the history of this famous race, included information on these truck tests thus the event became counted as a ‘running’ of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb.

1942 – 1945 – World War II’s impact was felt far and wide, and no racing was conducted during these war years.

2016 – A celebration of the 100^th Anniversary (1916-2016) was held.

2022 – The 100^th Running of the Race to the Clouds was one for the record books.

2023 – Our second century of racing begins – The Climb Continues…

PPIHC TRIVIA

Q: Who was the first father/son duo to earn King of the Mountain honors?

Al Unser (pictured in 1964 in the Offenhauser-powered winner) captured back-to-back King of the Mountain titles on Pikes Peak in

1964 and 1965.

Al Unser, Jr., (pictured with his father and the Penrose Trophy at the 1982 awards ceremony) was crowned King of the Mountain in 1982.

A: Al Unser and Al Unser, Jr.

FINAL FAREWELL

Ken Block

Thank you for sharing your talent and status as a motorsports icon, competitor and entrepreneur with the PPIHC.

Gary Loo

Thank you for serving the PPIHC as a board member, philanthropist and ambassador.

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT

Meet our title and presenting sponsors. Their dedication coupled with a desire to honor the history and legacy of this racing spectacle bring a strong brand image to this event and contribute greatly to our success.

The Broadmoor, Title Sponsor

Since its earliest days, when Spencer Penrose conceived of this “National Hill Climbing Contest” and purchased the Broadmoor Hotel, the two have been linked - excellence in motorsports and the finest in hospitality. Both are legendary, not only in the Pikes Peak region but around the world.

“We are very proud of our longstanding relationship with The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Over the years, this unique event has gained in popularity and notoriety not just in the United States racing community, but the entire world.”

Jack Damioli, President and CEO, The Broadmoor

Please join us in welcoming a different kind of horsepower to Colorado Springs

in 2023.

The Broadmoor and Colorado Springs Sports Corporation have joined forces to create The Broadmoor 2023 Winter Polo Classic, which officially brings polo back to the Pikes Peak Region for the first time since the late 1930s.

The event will take place at the Norris Penrose Event Center on February 25, 2023, at 2:30pm featuring polo players from around the country.

For more information on the event or to purchase tickets, please visit WinterPoloClassic.org.

Gran Turismo, Presenting Sponsor

Nearly ten years ago, Gran Turismo, known as ‘the real driving simulator’ established a visible presence on Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain. The GT windshield banners sported by every competitor have become an identifying feature of participants in the Race to the Clouds.

“Ernest Hemingway once said, 'There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.' The Pikes Peak Hill Climb is the world’s ultimate sport.

Pikes Peak is one of the few pure motorsport events left in the world and is unrivaled in its history and tradition. No other race can celebrate over a century of racing tradition where innovation has been paramount from day one and celebrated by both grassroot and factory efforts. The purity of this event makes it so special. It’s a true battle of man, machine, and mother nature, and is the ultimate celebration of the automobile; nothing else compares.

Like Pikes Peak, Gran Turismo is one of the longest running producers in our industry and innovators in our space. We share the same ethos and for these reasons and many more, we could not be more pleased to be partners with this historic event.”

Mitch Snow, Manager New Business – Gran Turismo

WHAT WE'RE CELEBRATING

January Birthdays

1/3 - JR Hildebrand

1/5 - Tommy Boileau, David Donohue, Chris Fillmore

1/7 - Phil Bloom, Derek Boyd

1/8 - Laurent Millara

1/9 - Nick Robinson

1/12 - Robert Barber, Robby Unser

1/13 - Frank Peterson

1/19 - Cam Ingram

1/21 - Andy Figueroa

1/22 - Raphael Astier

1/23 - Ralf Christensson

1/24 - Randy Schranz

1/26 - Aaron Kaufman, Kevin Wesley

1/28 - Steve Goeglein

EXPLORING HISTORY

Can you identify this iconic American car and the man who

made it popular?

While never a competitor in the Race to the Clouds, Zora Arkus-Duntov, the “Father of the Corvette” tested several Chevrolet models on Pikes Peak in private sessions in the mid-1950s. Pictured above in 1955, testing the pre-production Corvette, Arkus-Duntov brought his design experience and his high-performance driving skills to Pikes Peak. The following year his team brought two 1956 Chevrolet 210s, a two-door and four-door sedan, to test on the mountain. The annual Pikes Peak Hill Climb, held on July 4, 1956, was won by Bobby Unser. The test sessions took place in September, later that year. Read more HERE.

Once the Corvette was proven successful on the mountain, entries in the Sports Car division gained popularity, either running the Corvette or a Corvette engine.

Bob Nance, Sports Car division, 1958 - 4^th place; 16:15.30. One of the first Corvettes to compete on Pikes Peak.

Explore PPIHC Results HERE and 2022 Race Results HERE

ICYMI

Submit your comments and suggestions for this monthly publication at information@ppihc.org