Pikes Peak Hill Climb marks its 100th running on June 26

By Jay McKinney

This story kicks off a week of stories about Colorado Springs. See more in our current print issue, with its annual special section on the Pikes Peak region.

Out of all the 14,000-foot mountains in Colorado, Pikes Peak is in a class of its own. A massive 14er that stands alone physically and often steals the spotlight on the Front Range horizon, Pikes Peak has not only been dubbed America’s Mountain, but it’s also the site of a historic and dangerous car race. The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC), nicknamed “The Race to the Clouds,” is celebrating its 100th running on June 26. That breeze you feel is Zebulon Pike spinning in his grave.

Pike was an explorer commissioned by Thomas Jefferson to explore the Great Plains. He came across the Rocky Mountain obtrusion that bears his name in 1806. The daunting mountain that appears to rise straight from the valley floor had Pike convinced that no person would ever reach its summit. He was wrong.

Louis Unser in a Perry Sealed Power Special, winning the race in 1934.

In contrast with Pike’s grim assessment of the mountain, entrepreneur and philanthropist Spencer Penrose saw its untapped potential as a tourist attraction. A carriage road to the summit had been built by 1900. By 1915 Penrose finished converting the road into the Pikes Peak Highway.

To publicize the new road and bring visitors to his hotel, The Broadmoor, Penrose arranged the first PPIHC race in 1916. Rea Lentz won the inaugural event with a homemade car in an upset victory. Since then, the race has attracted legendary drivers from across the world and is now the second oldest motorsports race in the United States. Aside from halting the race during World Wars I and II, it has happened every summer since the early 20th century.

With 156 turns and a steep elevation gain, the 12.42-mile racecourse is not for the faint of heart. There are six different classifications for racing, and each car is racing for the best time, as opposed to side-by-side with their competitors. Present day racers have the luxury of a fully paved road, but there are still considerable challenges that drivers face competing in the PPIHC. As the drivers race toward the summit, the thin air slows reflexes and can hinder their mental and muscle ability. The elevation increase also has a negative impact on the car and decreases the power of internal combustion engines up to 30 percent. And there’s always the potential for the weather to take a turn for the worse and reduce visibility and traction.

While racing can be dangerous in any scenario, the PPIHC surely poses some peculiar challenges. But that doesn’t stop some of the world’s most talented racers from taking their shot at the mountain. If anything, it probably encourages them.

Tommy Boileau

One racer who will take on the mountain for the 100th running lives right here in Colorado. Tommy Boileau is a native who comes from a family with deep roots in racing. His mother and father met at a racetrack when they were kids.

Racing came easy to Boileau, even when he was a youngster. Now the 28-year-old has competed in a variety of racing formats around the world. Of all the races he’s experienced, he says nothing compares to the Hill Climb.

“Come race day, you have to get mentally prepared for what’s ahead and realize this is legitimately the most dangerous race in America, if not the world, and there’s a good shot I could die,” Boileau says.

In his first race in 2019, he recalls the moment he was getting into his car and course officials stopped him to warn of a bad accident that had happened on the road. One of the generation’s best motorcycle racers, Carlin Dunne, had crashed just before the finish line and died. Motorcycles no longer compete in the race.

“That was heavy,” Boileau remembers. “Rookie year, first time racing it, and I’m literally strapping into my car and they come over to tell me that one of the best guys who’s ever raced the event on a motorcycle just died.”

Despite the terrifying introduction, Boileau managed to win the Rookie of the Year award and finished 3rd in his class. Since then, he has signed on with the DuSold Designs racing team and races a 1967 Camaro that has been customized to handle the rigorous course. In addition to the mental preparation, Boileau acknowledges the physical challenges that both the racer and the car can experience. The lack of oxygen becomes more apparent as racers reach the top and even though Boileau has adjusted to the climate, he says other racers from lower elevations sometimes struggle.

Chuck Myers after his first place summit in 1925.

The cars, however, are all susceptible to breakdowns and mechanical difficulties when drivers romp on them at high altitude. The wiring harness in Boileau’s car caught fire about 10 seconds after he crossed the finish line when he won Rookie of the Year. But that wasn’t the only time his car came out worse for wear.

In 2020, his power steering didn’t feel right as he pushed the limits toward the summit in a preliminary round.

As he was going into a corner, the entire steering system failed and he crashed into the mountain, destroying the car. Had it happened three or four corners earlier, Boileau would have gone off the mountain into what the drivers call the Bottomless Pit, a 3,000-4,000-foot vertical drop.

There are unpredictable road conditions that can interfere with the race and enhance the danger. “I’ve run into hail, snow, rain, you name it up there,” Boileau says. But then there are other hazards that might cross one’s path. “There’s wildlife up there. I’ve seen bighorn sheep, marmots, deer, and there’s been bears up there before. It’s such a unique event in so many different ways and you just have to respect the mountain.”

Despite the dangers, Boileau says it’s the most addictive thing he’s ever done. He relishes the whole experience including “hell week” leading up to the race. They call it hell week because it’s a mental challenge and involves odd sleep schedules, often getting on the mountain at 2:30 a.m. to get set up and start practice rounds at the first sliver of sunlight. After 8:30 a.m. the racing practice is shut down and the road is opened to the public for the day.

Keith Andrews in the Joe Hunt Magneto Special in 1954

On Friday night, after a week of early mornings and mechanical work to fine-tune the cars, Downtown Colorado Springs shuts down Tejon Street and throws a huge party to honor the racers. The racers have Saturday for relaxation before Sunday’s extravaganza.

“It’s a cool environment, it’s super rowdy and the Fan Fest is one of the coolest parts about the event,” Boileau says. “Come race day, it’s show time and you have to go lay it all out there and see what happens.” Boileau and his team are confident in their chances to place first this year and it would be even more meaningful to win the race’s 100th running.

“I grew up here,” he says. “I’ve always idolized the event as a whole and there have been so many legends in motorsports that have gone up there and competed. If we could go up this year and win the event and set a record in class, it’d be the biggest thing I’d ever done in my career.”

Jay McKinney is a Colorado native who recently graduated from Metro State University of Denver with a bachelor’s degree in communications. He loves spending time outdoors, playing golf and hiking.