【Pikes Peak International Hill Climb ／ Colorado, U.S.A.】
Legendary Hill Climb Race “Pikes” Celebrates 102nd Anniversary, Yokoyama Tire Users Win Four Divisions
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
| Date | 19-23 June 2024 |
|---|---|
| Course | Pikes Peak (Colorado, U.S.A.) |
| Weather | Fine |
| Surface | Dry |
| Race Distance | 12.42miles |
The 102nd Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) took place at Pikes Peak, situated in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado. The legendary event is a hill climb time trial, in which competitors drive over a defined route one by one. In this case, the finish line is located at the summit of Pikes Peak at the altitude of 14,115ft, or 4,301m, which is why the event has been familiarly known as The Race to the Clouds. PPIHC’s long history is only second to the Indianapolis 500 in North American motorsport, so it isn’t rare that three generations of a family have been involved in this event as racers or course marshals.
The competition course has 156 corners and is usually open for sight-seeing visitors. It was initially an all-gravel road, but after a series of partial paving works, it became fully paved in 2012. Because of this gradual track improvement, the competition records have considerably improved. It is notable that electric vehicles perform well here lately, as they don’t suffer from the effect of high altitude, i.e., thinner air, which adversely affects the performance of internal combustion engines.
Yokohama Tire has participated in PPIHC for years and supported three overall winners in the last four years, from 2020 to 2023. The Japanese company was also one of the early supporters of electric vehicles in this event, and its remarkable results included the fastest time in the race’s history at the time.
In 2024, Hyundai Motor Company joined the fray and attracted much attention. They brought three electric-powered cars to the event. One of them was the Ioniq 5 N, which was basically a high-performance road-going version with minimum modifications for the competition. The rest were its TA Spec, which were heavily modified cars with huge aerodynamic devices, extended fenders, and special software to raise the motor’s power.
The Korean company relied on Yokohama Tire to optimize their cars’ performance at Pikes Peak, choosing ADVAN A005 for TA Specs and ADVAN Sport V107 for Ioniq 5 N.
Behind the wheels of two TA Specs were Dani Sordo, a winner in WRC (FIA World Rally Championship) and a member of Hyundai’s world rally team, and Randy Pobst, who drove a Yokohama-shoed Tesla in last year’s PPIHC. Ron Zaras was appointed as the driver of Ioniq 5 N.
These three Hyundais competed in the Exhibition Division, but many Yokohama Tire users fought in other divisions as well. Until last year, only Porsches were eligible for a division for the FIAGT4 cars, but the organizer revised the rules to allow other manufacturers’ cars to take part in it this year. Therefore, the division welcomed a Toyota Supra and a Ford Mustang in addition to two Porsches and was renamed the Pikes Peak GT4 Trophy by Yokohama. As its name shows, Yokohama Tire was the sole tire supplier for this division, and the battle between different manufacturers’ cars using the same tires drew fans’ attention.
The practice and qualifying sessions ran for four days, starting Tuesday, June 18th. During this period, the competitors were allowed to drive through one-third of the whole track each day and then move on to another one-third the next day.
On Day 1, Sordo in the lower section set 4’01″514, which was the fastest time in the Exhibition Division. As Zaras followed in second, Hyundai was clearly a force to be reckoned with.
Bad weather affected Day 2, and the competitors in the upper section couldn’t set significant times. However, the conditions were better in the middle section, where Sordo was again the fastest in the Exhibition Division. The difficult conditions remained on Day 3, so the organizer was forced to alter the schedule substantially. Still, five Yokohama Tire users put their names on Fast 15 on this day.
On Friday evening, the traditional Fan Fest was held in the city center of Colorado Springs. The district was crowded with fans and local citizens who were looking forward to this annual event, and the competitors greeted them with autographs or let them take selfies together.
Bad weather adversely affected the buildup of the 102nd PPIHC, but it improved on race day, Sunday, June 23rd. With a beautiful blue sky above the Peak’s summit, the race started at 7:30. While there were a few red-flag interruptions because of the halted cars on the track, the drivers using Yokohama Tire’s products generally performed well.
Keeping momentum from the practice, Sordo got through to the finish at the summit in 9’30″852 and won the Exhibition Division. His time was the new course record of the modified electric SUV/Crossover cars. Hyundai teammate Pobst came in second in the same division. The veteran joined the team on short notice but showed his ability to the fullest. The third place in the division went to Zaras, whose time was the new record of the production electric SUV/Crossover cars.
Cole Powelson became the winner of the Open Wheel Division. Despite changing cars just before the race weekend, he skillfully drove his 2021 Sierra Alpha and set the division’s fastest time, 9’33″222. David Donohue, a vastly experienced Le Mans 24 Hours winner, beat everyone else in the Time Attack 1 Division.
In her Toyota Supra GT4, Laura Hayes won the Pikes Peak GT4 Trophy by Yokohama Division, for which Yokohama Tire solely supplied the tires. Her winning time, 10’20″487, was the fastest record by a female driver in a four-wheel vehicle.