Also known as "The Race to the Clouds", The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC), has achieved legendary status by being the second oldest car and motorcycle race in the United States, which runs to the Pikes Peak summit in Colorado on the last Sunday in June.
The race has become legendary thanks to the fact that the best drivers from the world of rally racing have taken on the challenge and contributed to its history: in the era when Audi and Peugeot were vying for the title, Audi's Michèle Mouton, Bobby Unser and Walter Röhrl and Peugeot's Ari Vatanen all held records. More recently, Sébastien Loeb smashed the time record in 2013.
In 2016, more than 100 participants took part in the race, divided into 17 categories of cars, motorcycles, quads and trucks. The "Unlimited" category is always the most spectacular with its +1000-HP supercars.
Created in 1916 by Spencer Penrose, it is the only race in the world still worthy of the #DontCrackUnderPressure tagline thanks to its breathtaking stats: the track measures 19.99 kilometres over 156 turns, climbing an impressive 1440 metres from the start line at Mile 7 (2862 m) to the finish at the summit at an altitude of 4300 metres. It is one of the hardest races in the world – tough on the drivers and on their vehicles: the high altitudes slow down the drivers' reflexes, straining their brains and cramping their muscles, while the engines can lose up to 30% of their power. And remember that the race has very few safety barriers. With almost no guard rails, the slightest miscalculation on a bend could send them plummeting into a ravine. And, at the track's summit, this is some 600 metres. The Pikes Peak has therefore become legendary for its spectacular crashes.
