2024 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

[Dragoon]

Unfortunately, there isn't a Lotus racing the hill this year, but there are still some amazing machines that are entered!

Competitor List - Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

Competitors One day. One run to the summit of Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain. From multi-million dollar racing prototypes to hometown garage-built beasts, the intent of our rules is broad enough to include six divisions – something for almost everyone. Competitors apply for the coveted...

ppihc.org

One that I'm watching closely is the new Ford F150 Lightning Supertruck! There is also a competitive GT4 class that includes several different manufacturers this year, such as Ford, Toyota, and Porsche. I would be really cool to see an Emira GT4 run in this class next year.

 

[Dragoon]

FORD F-150 LIGHTNING SUPERTRUCK IS LATEST EV TO TAKE ON PIKES PEAK​

• The Ford F-150 Lightning SuperTruck is Ford Performance’s newest electric vehicle demonstrator
• SuperTruck will take on the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb presented by Gran Turismo with Romain Dumas behind the wheel
• This is Ford’s second consecutive year competing at the Hill Climb with an EV demonstrator, following the record-breaking effort with SuperVan 4.2 in 2023

PIKES PEAK, Colo., June 17, 2024 – Ford Performance returns to America’s mountain once again in an all-new electric demonstrator vehicle – the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck. The initiative follows and aims to build upon the success of capturing multiple records at the 2023 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with SuperVan 4.2.

Designed in conjunction with Ford Design and STARD Advanced Research and Development to excel in the extreme conditions of Pikes Peak, this truck showcases advanced aerodynamics, generating 6,000 pounds of downforce at 150 mph, and features optimised electric motors for peak performance.

For the 102nd running of the Pikes Peak International Hill climb, SuperTruck’s powertrain will consist of three STARD UHP 6-Phase Motors and Ultra-High Performance Li-Polymer NMC cells, generating 1400-plus horsepower output.

The F-150 Lightning EV demonstrator is designed with a triple-element front wing, headlight ducts, hood ducts and louvers, front dive-planes, side diffusers, rear diffuser, and multi-element rear wing to maximize aerodynamics. It also features carbon ceramic brakes, Pirelli P-Zero tires on magnesium forged wheels, and a fully custom in-board suspension system.

Piloting the SuperTruck will be Romain Dumas, a veteran of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and current overall record holder, marking his ninth appearance and second with Ford Performance. Dumas’s expertise and experience make him the ideal candidate to pilot this special vehicle.

“After a successful 2023 climb, I’m thrilled to be behind the wheel again with this team and to help push the limits of what an electric vehicle can achieve on the turns of this legendary course,” said Dumas. ”In testing, the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck has surpassed my expectations, so we are hoping for some good weather to try and do something very special.”

Continuing the partnership started with SuperVan 4.0, STARD is integral in the development and construction of SuperTruck’s powertrain design and controls.

“To make the best vehicles for our customers, our research takes us racing in the harshest and most challenging conditions – the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck is the latest example of that,” said Mark Rushbrook, Global Director of Ford Performance. “Our pursuit to the top of the mountain is charged by the commitment to make all our electric vehicles more capable, more advanced, and more exciting.”

Since 1916, Ford vehicles have been conquering Pikes Peak, starting with a Model T that completed the climb to the 14,115 ft summit in 28 minutes 03 seconds. This year, Ford aims to surpass its own 2023 record set by the SuperVan 4.2, which completed the run in 8 minutes 47.682 seconds.

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is set to take place June 23. Watch live for free on YouTube here. For more information on the event, visit https://ppihc.org/.

 

[Time2Fly]

Good luck! I'm right up the road in Denver so maybe I'll come check it out.

What gold wrap do you use (Eventuri thread)? How easy is it to work with? Did you get any noticeable effect? A/B test?

 

[Dragoon]

Good luck! I'm right up the road in Denver so maybe I'll come check it out.

What gold wrap do you use (Eventuri thread)? How easy is it to work with? Did you get any noticeable effect? A/B test?

The best thing to do is attend the Fan Fest held in downtown Colorado Springs on Friday night before the race. They block the roads and spread out all the race cars for everyone to walk around. It's a cool way to see everything up close and meet the drivers.

Fan Fest - Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

Join us! Fan Fest, presented by Toyo Tires, is one of Colorado Springs’ largest and most popular street festivals. Held on the Friday evening before Race Day, more than 35,000 people gather in the heart of Downtown Colorado Springs to experience this 10-block street party. Come out and meet the...

ppihc.org

I believe this is the gold heat shield that I used: https://a.co/d/02o18dmI

It's really easy to work with, and the adhesive backing still sticks well, even twelve years later! I raced Pikes Peak from 2010-2013. I was fortunate enough to race the final two years when it was still dirt and the first two years of being all paved. I wasn't really able to do any A/B testing at the time because we were always scrambling to knock down little pre-race gremlins right up until the final hour. Nothing really likes to run well at 14,000+ feet so it was always something going wrong. Especially, when the entire car was hand-built by me and some friends. The car would run flawlessly at the test track around 7,000 ft elevation or less, but once you got up to the mountain, it was a whole other story! So you only found out about issues during the handful of practice days on the mountain from about 7 am to 10 am. So, there were a lot of sleepless nights leading up to the race for one single shot at a clean race with no weather or mechanical issues.

 

[Dragoon]

Here's a video showing the final form of RZR-X1 that I raced in the Unlimited class in 2013.