Pikes Peak - Does anyone really care?

[L5->R5/CR]

So the tag line for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has become that it is a bigger deal over seas than it is in the US...

As rally/off road endurance fans does anyone really care about Pikes Peak on a forum as large as this?

[A.F.F.]

Can't speak for others but I don't care about Pikes Peak at all, even it has great traditions. I could take a look if there would be some familiar driver from rally scene taking part.

[Erki]

Pikes Peak? You mean the oval, right?

[Donney]

No I don't, despite loving the famous "Climb Dance" I don't know the drivers, the regulations, the cars nor basically anything.

[JAM]

In Europe we know Pikes Peak because in the 80's Audi and Peugeot decided to race there with spectacular cars. Besides these facts we know a few about this hill climb race. Audi Sport Quattro S1 and Peugeot 405 Turbo 16 from Pikes Peake Races were very used in promotional videos.

[ST205GT4]

I care. I drove 6-7hrs straight from the middle of Wyoming when I was living over there to have the chance to watch it.

[Camelopard]

In 1994 during a trip to the states we made a big detour to drive to the top, it was June and still bloody cold at the top. People were still skiing in parts. Very nice drive, so I useually take a mild interest each year, although to be honest I've been too busy to know much about this years event.

[N.O.T]

Not anymore..especially since they covered a section with tarmac.

[Josti]

Not anymore..especially since they covered a section with tarmac.

I agree, some time ago I saw some pictures of recent Pikes Peak editions and it seems it's now mostly run on asphalt, which IMO takes all the interest away. Let alone the fact that I have almost no clue about the runners.

I know a short while ago Stig Blomqvist still competed there with a Ford RS200. But to be honest, that was my only interest out of the event in recent years. It seems the excitement is much far to look at, since Suzuki is dominating the event for years now.

[sal]

Saw the 405T16, Rod Millens Toyota "pick up" and an open wheeler Pikes Peak car at Goodwood FOS this year and they were spectacular bits of kit. IMO you dont have to subscribe to any particular brand of motorsport to "get" events like Pikes Peak and they dont always need to be relevant to any specific genre. Yes in rally fans memory banks the glory years of the 80s are uppermost (I know one well known WRC photographer who says that his trips there were better than any WRC event he worked on), however I take an interest in Pikes Peak and the Goldrush hillclimbs, Le Mans, Bathurst and other non rallying events even when the closest I've been to them is my front room. It is a shame when "classics" like the Mille Migilia, Targo Florio are re born as parades for classic cars and not competitive events so I for one hope PP continues to exist.