There are plenty of hill climb events in the world, but none are like Pikes Peak. 2023 marks the 101st running up the famous Colorado mountain, and you can watch all the racing action as it happens live, right here. The livestream begins on Sunday, June 25 at 9:00 AM Eastern / 6:00 AM Pacific.
What makes Pikes Peak special? For starters, drivers face no less than 156 turns over a 12.4-mile rally stage. Many of those turns come with serious consequences if they’re missed, and by that, we mean big-time drops down the side of a mountain. And while it’s 12.4 miles long, competitors will climb nearly one mile in the process. The starting line sits at 9,390 feet, with the finish line cresting at a lofty 14,115 feet. As such, drivers can (and often) experience completely different weather conditions from beginning to end. And then there’s the challenge of tuning a high-performance engine to handle such a drastic change in elevation.
Similar to the Nurburgring, Pike Peak has become something of a trophy for automakers seeking record times. In 2022, Porsche claimed a production-car record with a stock 911 Turbo S making the climb in 9 minutes 53.5 seconds. It wasn’t without some controversy, however, as the pass wasn’t made during the actual race. Weather conditions weren’t the best in June, so Porsche took advantage of a rule change that allowed an official run outside the racing venue. The team returned in September and obliterated the previous record by almost 30 seconds.
Porsche wasn’t the only record-setting brand at the hill for 2022. Lamborghini claimed the title of fastest production SUV for the ascent, clocking a time of 10 minutes 32 seconds in a Urus. Unlike Porsche, the run was achieved during the actual race but Lamborghini didn’t release the news until August.
Several automakers are slated to make passes for 2023. Acura will be on hand with several vehicles, Alpine will seek glory with a special A110, and Ford will run its bonkers 1,400-horsepower electric SuperVan 4.2. Eyes will also be on the Block family, with Lucy competing in the Unlimited class driving a Sierra Echo EV. Lia won’t make an official timed pass, but she will be driving the 1,400-hp Hoonipigasus Porsche 911 in an exhibition run. Both are at Pikes Peak in honor of Ken Block – Lucy’s husband and Lia’s father – who passed away in a snowmobiling accident at the beginning of 2023.
The livestream starts at 9:00 AM Eastern with the first run expected to begin a half hour later. The event ends at 4:00 PM, and we will carry the stream in its entirety.
