MIKE ROGERS LOOKS BACK // 2008 PIKES PEAK HILL CLIMB

Mike Jones & Doug Coffey – 1966 Ford Mustang:

One of the best traditions of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the racer’s parade back down the mountain at the end of the race day. Thousands of fans line the road, cheering, waving and high-fiving the drivers and co-drivers as they slowly descend the mountain. This photo was taken at the upper portion of the mountain at Devils Playground. Every one of the racers had huge smiles on their faces, and the racing fans enthusiasm was incredible. Doug Coffey’s son recommended bringing the American Flag to the summit, and it seems all too fitting for this mid-summer made in America spectacle. This car was one of the Vintage Racing Group entries, new to the hill climb for 2008. The car is regularly raced in Colorado with the Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing organization.


Rhys Millen – 2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP:

RedBull Drifting World Champion and Formula D driver Rhys Millen shows off his drifting skills on the upper portion of the mountain.


Todd Landon – 1967 Ford Mustang // Richard Morrison & Richard Hamlin – 1958 Mercedes 220S Coupe:

These drivers are part of the Vintage Racing Group, new to the hill climb for 2008. They are both La Carrera Panamericana racers, accustomed to long distance road races across Mexico. The cars started out several minutes apart at the bottom of the mountain, but Todd Landon was able to catch and overtake the Mercedes just before the Boulder Field area near the mountain summit.


Marty Roestenburg – 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution:

During his race run on Sunday afternoon, Marty Roestenburg came flying down the hill towards “Bottomless Pit”, appearing to carry lot more speed than any of the other competitors. As he turned in for the right hand corner the car slid past the packed racing line into loose dirt and gravel. In the above photo, Marty had slid approximately 200 feet sideways and has the rear of his car up against a stone retaining wall. Shortly beyond the wall is a shear cliff, with a drop of more than 1000 feet. The most miraculous portion of this story is that of the young man taking photos at the end of the stone wall. He ducked behind the wall as the rear end of the car flew by him. As the car came to rest on its roof, and the huge cloud of dust cleared, steam began to billow from the busted radiator. Luckily, the young man taking photos was unharmed. Marty was banged up a bit, and after a ride partially down the mountain with the safety crew he was airlifted to a local hospital to be checked out.

Photo and editorial by Mike Rogers. Click here for a look at Mike's complete gallery from the 2008 PPIHC // 02.01.2009