2010 Pikes Peak Int'l Hill Climb: Extra Two Days of Practice in Early June

The 2010 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the 2nd oldest motorsports race in America with about 200 competitors in 11 classes ranging from 250cc motors to 8,000 pound big rig trucks.

We'll be there in just one week for two practice days in the Gypsy Wind with pilot, Doug Allen.

And we'll return on June 22nd for the real deal with three Mustangs To Go fastbacks in the vintage class - three more practice days and the final showdown for King of the Hill on June 27th. I can see we are not going to get much sleep in June with the 2 a.m. wakeup calls to race from 5-8 a.m.

2010 PPIHC Mustangs To Go Lineup:


- G y p s y  W i n d : 1965 Mustang Fastback


- B a g  O ' N a i l s: 1966 Mustang Fastback


- The  P h a t  M a n : 1967 Mustang Fastback

For the locals, please join us at the vintage car show on Saturday afternoon, June 26th in groovy little Manitou Springs at the foot of Pikes Peak. It is a great chance to have a close up look at the vintage race cars and motorcycles, and chat with the pilots and copilots, including our friends from La Carrera and the Chihuahua Express and the locals from Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing.

2009 PPIHC Vintage Car Show in Manitou Springs

From the RMVR website:

Vintage Division Automobiles
Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing will be fielding a Vintage Division in 2010. The date has been moved up to accommodate the paving plan on the mountain. This will be the last year to race the upper mountain’s dirt course.
Photo Credit: Mike Rogers

In 2009, six vintage division drivers added their names to the record books as hill climb rookies. Ten vintage autos ran including three Mustangs, three Falcons, a Corvette, a Oldsmobile Super 88, a Desoto Firedome 8 and a ‘71 Cuda and a new course record of 13:56 was set for the Vintage Division automobiles.

RMVR sponsors a car and bike show in Manitou Springs featuring vehicles from the vintage car and motorcycle divisions and local residents’ private vehicles. Manitou is a community nestled in the foothills just west of Colorado Springs. The setting for the show is in a park with plenty of shade, grass, music and food vendors. The ‘52 Desoto Hemi of Dean Smith and Frank McKinnon were show favorites in 2009, taking home a trophy for best racecar. The car show will be June 26, 2010.

And if you come to spectate on the hill this year, have fun, be safe, and please please please STAY OFF THE ROAD DURING THE RACE. Last year Doug crashed at mile 2 due to two spectators standing in the road, and we heard many other stories of the same, and we personally witnessed dozens of people crossing the road at the Devil's Playground throughout the day.

From the Colorado Springs Gazette regarding the 2009 race:

Although the drivers were more cautious for the most part, some fans didn’t follow suit. “There were people walking across the road and crossing the road just as I was driving by,” said Melissa Keeney, who finished third in the time attack 2wd division.

Her husband, Jimmy Keeney, wasn’t so vigilant.

“I don’t slow down for them,” said Keeney, who finished second in the open wheel division. “It’s not their race to win, it’s mine. If I clip one, it’s their deal, not mine. I obviously don’t want to hurt anybody, but if there’s somebody in the road, I’m not going to slow down.”

Doug Allen's 2009 PPIHC crash - because two %&**&^%$ spectators were standing in the road.

Not everyone will make the same decision as Doug - sacrificing his own safety instead of hitting two spectators lacking basic common sense.

And not everyone will have time to make that choice - someone could get hit and I would hate to have that happen.