Part of its paved anyway. You still have the slickey stuff to contend with before you reach the top. Its been on my list of things to do before death for quite some time. I guy I used to know real well drove an AC/Cobra back from SF changed tires and run it back in the '60s. Then drove home. I don't think he even placed but he had a hellofa story to tell.
I love watching the races there, and it's something i want to experience. I think there were factory Ford Falcons battling up the hill back in the day.
i've never raced, but spectated once a couple of years ago, the weather got so bad they had to finish the race with only the bottom half of the course. i've done the drive a number of times, last time was this last weekend, had some relatives in town so we took em up. yup, they're paving more of it, they paved several miles just past the halfway point since my last trip up....and sin of em all...gaurdrails! at only a few turns. as it is now, most of the race is run on asphalt, but that don't stop them from drifting around corners! most spectators watch at lower elevations on asphalt. when i watched the race, i watched part where there the gravel turns into asphalt just before the halfway point, it's a blast seeing the cars come off the gravel onto wet pavement at about 90 mph hanging the *** end out with spectators just a few feet away!
It is being paved, all the way to the top...no more gravel. Don't know when it's scheduled to be finished tho...probably a little at a time (in summers) til they get 'er done... R-
IT's on my todo list. So can anybody drive up on the course? Is it just a regular road that leads up the mountian that they make a run out of once a year or so.
my neighbor raced mx bikes up PP in the 70s & 80s and finished on the podium quite a few times. I always thought he was a goof, but turns out he's more gutsy than I. "he's more punk than me"
I raced motorcycles up the hill in the 70's and early 80's. That is a BUNCH more exciting than in a car with a roll cage. 39 of your worst enemies riding right along with you unlike the cars that run one at a time.
It's just the regular road, but when you get to a certain elevation the road becomes basically a ****py dirt trail with no guardrails. It's very easy and fun to get sideways on them. Especially in the rain in a rental car. They say it's supposed to take you like an hour and a half to get to the top, the speed limit's around 25 or 30. We made it in about half that time. An interesting note: About 1/2 way down there is a checkpoint where a park ranger actually checks the temperature of your brakes and will not let you continue until they cool to a certain temperature. Of course we had to wait at the checkpoint a while.
Not me, but the LITTLE they televise is crazy bad! They should have a LOT more on TV. The "in car" camera on those ALL wheel drive turbocharged cars? What a ****ing ride! Don't get me wrong, i love NASCAR, but that's pretty much all you see on Speed Channel. Bring us Bonneville, and Pikes Peak.
Here's a view looking down on the road from about mid-climb... you can see some paved, then dirt... and the drop should you slide off'n that gravel!
Pop did Pike's Peak about two years ago - in his Model A. Got a vid of the whole schmeer - it's a trip.
The long term plan is to gradually pave additional sections of the road up Pikes Peak until the entire road is surfaced. Why you ask????..Runoff and washout of the gravel road bed is sending non-native gravel and dirt down the mountain and filling in areas and clogging others. And its a maintenance headache for the park service.......At least that's what the talking head with the funny hat said on the **** tube.
Here are some we took on the trip uphill. We were actually VERY lightheaded walking around at the top. We had to sit down. They have an oxygen bar in the gift shop.
My daughter Molly raced the Sterling semi-tracktor up Pikes Peak in 2003. After racing off-road cars for many years with her and her brother Andy; this had to be the wildest thing we ever did. Lot's of practice from daybreak to 9AM and cold as a MF. She was 2nd and rookie of the year. The scariest part is waiting at the bottom with her mom to find out if she came though ok. After that BIG PARTY! Panhead Guy
You do realize that the highest auto road in the US is right here in ColoRODo, don't you? NO??? Hmmmm, it's not Estes Park or Trail Ridge Road or Pikes Peak...anyone want to hazard a guess...??? R-
You guess...or look it up on a map? Mt. Evans is correct...14,264 feet and the road goes all the way to the top...altho I don't know if I'd call it a "road".. R-
Never been there, but Pikes Peak is bad ***. I've got a client who just started racing a pro baja truck. PP is on his race schedule this year...I'ma gonna try to tag along fer that one fer sure. Olson
It's not nearly as lame looking as he is though. But it's only five bucks to get you picture taken with it.
I have driven test vehicles for a few OEM's on it. The Rangers booted us off the hill for going too fast. There is a small GM facility in Cascade (near the bottom of the hill) to support the testing efforts. I was talking with guys there that raced it often. The racers used to say often: "If you fall off Pikes Peak your clothes will go out of style before you hit the bottom"
Watching the late 80's (?) Footage of the Twin Turbo Peuget Unlimited Rally Car blasting up the hill with Ari Vartnum(???) driving is still one of the best bits of footage ever....pretty much hangs the rear wheels off the mountain on some of the bends.....flying sideways..... mmm.
My uncle built just about every full bodied record holder from the 60's and early 70's that ran Pike's Peak. And if you think that Peugot hung it out, you should see footage of Bobby Unser in the 60's running the hill. Imagine a 69 Torino swinging sideways as the rear bumper looks over the side.
The Jalopy Journal
