pikes peak hill climb July 15-20

[donutking]

Who's interested in going to the PPIHC in July?


The 85th Annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb July 21, 2007

156 Turn , 14,110 Top Altitude
"Break the Record"
Current Record 10:04:06
July 21st 2007
The Race to the Clouds
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the world''s highest auto race and one of the most grueling events in all of motor racing. The start line at 9,400 feet is high enough to leave anyone short of breath. And the climb to the towering 14,110 foot finish punishes drivers and their vehicles. As the drivers climb toward the summit, the thin air slows reflexes and saps muscle strength - plus it robs engines of 30% of their power at the summit. So competitors and vehicles must be in top shape simply to finish, let alone win.
The course is a twisty sprint of 12.4 miles. With turns and a course that turns to gravel halfway up, drivers get a tremendous workout. Although every corner in the race deserves full respect, the one named "Bottomless Pit" gets top billing as the one not to miss. No one has ever missed that corner, which would result in a 6,000 foot drop.
Mile for mile, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the toughest race in the world.

http://www.ppihc.com/App_Themes/Base/Content/Images/CourseMap.gif
As challenging as it is, Pikes Peak International Hill Climb attracts no fewer than 9 classes of racers ranging from 250cc motors to 8,000 pound big rig trucks.
There is no other race course in the world like the Pikes Peak Interntaional Hill Climb. That''s 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.



Race Course Statistics Length 65,560 feet or 12.42 miles
Width -
straight 20 feet
curves20 to 50 feet
Surfacegravel/asphalt
Elevation at Start - 9,402 feet
Elevation at Finish - 14,110 feet
Elevation gain - 4,708 feet
Length of plus grade61,626 feet - maximum plus10.5%
Lengh of negative grade3,934 feet - maximum negative10.0%
Average grade 7%



So whos down to go?

[subyspawn]

whats the date for 2008?

[sebhockey]

Sounds like fun. I would be in, but I doubt it's at a time when I can go.

[rollo]

July 20..

It's gonna 100% paved by 2010 so your chances to see any of it on dirt are dwindling.

Now Monster Tajima finally has the record.. sounds like the Millens want it back..
http://www.superstreetonline.com/eventcoverage/130_0712_pikes_peak/index.html

It's definitely something I want to see.. before it's all asphalt :(

[donutking]

it will be july 15-20 but the event will happen the 20th. all the other dates are just practices

[bigfinnrally]

Yup, for more information, the website is http://www.ppihc.com (http://www.ppihc.com/) and I think they should have all the dates for next year. I navigated last year in PPO with Joanna Balsamo (CA, dirtdrifter team) in a STi and it was a blast. If you want some tips on where to go as well as other things to do in CO Springs, hit me up. Definitely want to check out the fan party as well. I think I am gonna be a spectator this year instead of racing. That was a taxing whole week of waking up at 2AM and have to be off the mountain by 9AM for the tourists... blah!

[donutking]

im definityl goin as long as i have the time off work. Hope our plant shutdown week is that week!

[RckyMtnLegacy]

i am going

[RS-ti_Andy]

does devils playground have alcohol at it?! lol

[vaderSTI]

my and my buddy paul where thinking road tripin out there. i really want to see it before it gets paved

[RS-ti_Andy]

its getting paved?!

[wolfman79]

Yes unfortunately it is getting paved. I went this past year and it was great. My uncle used to go every year since '76 when he first moved here to CO. He passed away back in April so this was the first time in 30 years that my aunt got to sleep in the week of PPIHC.

[RS-ti_Andy]

why are they paving it?!


its a road? but also the best race ever!

[wolfman79]

They're paving it so that it will be safer for all the tourists to drive.

[RS-ti_Andy]

They're paving it so that it will be safer for all the tourists to drive.


sooo put up gaurd rails!!! require "tourists" to use chains! lol

Build a giant elevator! hahah.. how about a tram car on a wire? lol

[wolfman79]

Well they already have most of what you mentioned. The thing is it is a toll road when it is open. Never bite the hand that feeds, and unfortuanately that hand is attached to soccer moms and their husbands who don't like the idea of driving over 10 miles on dirt roads. Especially sincethere are spots where the vertical exposure is insane.

[RS-ti_Andy]

i suppose.. there should be a sign... "if u are scared of hieghts dont drive past this line"

haha

[geekmonster]

i saw a modern marvels about mountain roads that had a segment about pikes peak and they talked about paving it all the way to the top. the reasons they gave were the already stated easier access, but the big one had to deal with the erosion of the soils from the dirt roads. supposedly the soil composition at pikes peak is pretty loose and erodes away at a rapid rate and paving the road would cut back the erosion drastically.

i have a feeling this is gonna cause a lot of fans of the hill climb to loose interest or give up on it all together. its a catch 22, the erosion is a problem, but its soooooo damn sad to see this hugely famous event change and loose a lot of its appeal.

i really need to get over there and check it out before its all paved.

[drt suby]

July 20..

It's gonna 100% paved by 2010 so your chances to see any of it on dirt are dwindling.

Now Monster Tajima finally has the record.. sounds like the Millens want it back..
http://www.superstreetonline.com/eventcoverage/130_0712_pikes_peak/index.html

It's definitely something I want to see.. before it's all asphalt :(


Their has been talk around the shop that Rod might be building another ride for Pikes peak.

[RS-ti_Andy]

well if they pave it then they can make it into a drift track, or tarmac only..lol

[rollo]

They've done drifting on the lower parts for the past couple of years. And.. yeah if they pave it, it will be a tarmac track.. kinda by definition..

Pikes Peak has always been about sliding sideways on dirt, round mega-scary corners though. The asphalt era will make it completely different. Not necessarily bad.. just different, and for those of us that grew up with the legend of Pikes Peak it's a bit hard to get used to.

I guess they could bring the kids in by calling it "Pikes Peak Touge Time Attack" and get Tsuchiya to bring his hachi...

[RS-ti_Andy]

yeah! lol i think they should make a new pikes peak race but on a dif mountain

[rollo]

Right.. ahh... yeah.. actually there are other loose surface hill climbs already.

[RS-ti_Andy]

a bigger one! lol.. my cousin owns a top of a mountain.. ill talk to him

[wolfman79]

a bigger one! lol.. my cousin owns a top of a mountain.. ill talk to him

Because of the way Pikes Peak is situated geographically it would be no small feat to find a similar one. Pikes Peak has an advantage by being able to start at a relatively lower elevation.

[98obster]

i suppose.. there should be a sign... "if u are scared of hieghts dont drive past this line"

haha

it's pretty much on your Pike National Forest entrance receipt. "no beginner terrain past this point" ha..

so, if your interested you can follow the map along with this cheesy video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA8StLNTMc0

really, the cost of missing a turn at the top can be pricey to say the least. :shock:

[RS-ti_Andy]

haha yeah i can imagine lol... well i suppose ill try to make it out there.. even tho this is my brokest period ive ever been..lol

[drt suby]

i suppose.. there should be a sign... "if u are scared of hieghts dont drive past this line"

haha


haha at work we have a sign that says

"No Parking... violators vechiles will be impounded and race at Pikes Peak"

[RS-ti_Andy]

lol..

http://a187.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/107/l_9a3db3a7ee0e75a4968f7fd5203685c2.jpg (http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=300417865&albumID=0&imageID=427791)

[nordicskiah]

Mt Washington hill climb in NH, is always a good one too.

[98obster]

Mt Washington hill climb in NH, is always a good one too.

ugh, that reminds me. I need to get on the bike trainer and soon.

[geekmonster]

one of the best movies of pikes peak.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPUpN8JZe2M

[wolfman79]

That is a great movie and those spots around 3:00 and 3:50 really give you an idea of just how steep the dropoffs can be.

[RS-ti_Andy]

yeah ive seen them..pretty wicked lol

[nordicskiah]

ugh, that reminds me. I need to get on the bike trainer and soon.

pffff... it's not bike season yet... we still have another 3-4 months of skiing

Bike Trainer Time (perceived) vs Actual Time
3 hours is actually 30 minutes....

[geekmonster]

i would love to go to the hill climb event to watch, but i would love to also go some time in spring when the snow has melted and before the tourists haven't set out for the summer to drive my car up there. sure as hell would be fun.

[wolfman79]

i would love to go to the hill climb event to watch, but i would love to also go some time in spring when the snow has melted and before the tourists haven't set out for the summer to drive my car up there. sure as hell would be fun.

Some years they don't get the road open until mid June. I was up there a couple years back in the middle of August and it started snowing at the summit. Weather up there has a mind of its own. But it's a great drive no matter when you go.

[drt suby]

i asked Rod (Millen) today if he would ever go back to pikes peak to race... he said that he'd go back with an awd F1 car when the road is but he really doesnt care much abt it anymore. Rhys really wants the record..

[RS-ti_Andy]

he loves danger and andrenaline eh? lol

[geekmonster]

Some years they don't get the road open until mid June. I was up there a couple years back in the middle of August and it started snowing at the summit. Weather up there has a mind of its own. But it's a great drive no matter when you go.

reminds me of some roads up in montana. awesome roads, but only driveable for a handful of months a year.