Click to read part 1 of the blog – Preparation and tech inspection

Practice

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is held on a public roadway, so for drivers to get any kind of course practice in, they had to do it between the hours of 5:30am and 8:30am for four days when the road is temporarily closed. Racing at 5:30am means waking up at 2am every morning and prepping the race car so it’s ready to rip right as the public roads are cleared. This also makes it difficult to dial in the cars with dewy asphalt and colder temperatures compared to race day where drivers begin to climb the hill mid day. 

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) is the second oldest motor race in the United States behind only the Indianapolis 500 with the first race in 1916. It holds an immense honor behind its name, being one of the most challenging hill climbs in the world, and it goes almost year after year, taking the lives of some of the most elite racers. It takes place every summer in the mountains of Colorado, as drivers and riders race for the fastest times going up 12.5 miles, 156 turns and speeding over ridge crests to make it to the summit of Pikes Peak where the finish line awaits. The 2019 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race-day was set for June 30th and featured the CSF F87 M2 Club Racer V.2 from BMW R&D partner Tyspeed, piloted by none other than Tyler Pappas.