The Pikes Peak International Hillclimb is one of the oldest and most challenging races in the world. First run in 1916, it has pitted racers against both the clock and the 14,110-foot mountain’s temperamental weather for more than a century. More popular abroad than in its home country, the race is most famous among professional racing drivers who recognize it as one of the most difficult competitions in the world.
This year, the historic 100th overall running, a pair of well-known MotorTrend personalities both raced against both their class competitors and the mountain. Senior features editor Jonny Lieberman in his rookie year competed in the Porsche Pikes Peak Trophy by Yokohama, a spec class running Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsports. Contributor and professional racer Randy Pobst returned to the mountain for the fourth time, this time with an upgraded version of the Unplugged Performance Tesla Model S Plaid he drove last year.
Just Make It To The Top
Racers always race to win, but sometimes have other things in mind, too: “Don’t die,” Lieberman said when asked about his goals before the race. Being a rookie, and having seen two people in his class go off the road during the week leading up to race day, his goal was simply to make it to the top in one piece and maybe beat the guy who’d been running similar times to his all week. “The battle for fourth place [in class] is vicious,” he joked.
For Pobst, the goal was to set a new four-door EV record. The overall mountain record is held by the Volkswagen ID.R purpose-built EV race car, which was considerably smaller and lighter than Pobst’s heavily modified Model S Plaid sedan. It was also a potential redemption year for him after a few imperfect showings at Pikes. He’s crashed twice in previous races, once spectacularly enough to have the corner where it happened renamed for him. Last year, he made it to the top in this same car but the race was shortened due to bad weather on the summit. This was the year to go all the way.
The weather, however, once again refused cooperate.
Jonny Lieberman
“I couldn’t see anything,” Lieberman said. “It was all fog for 75 percent of my run. I just gave up after Devil’s Playground, I couldn’t see where I was going. I feel robbed.”
Lieberman’s coach, Pikes Peak legend and fellow 2022 competitor Jeff Zwart, called the intense fog “the most difficult weather conditions I have ever encountered.” He would know, as he’s been racing at Pikes since 1994. Other equally seasoned drivers like Rhys Millen, David Donohue, David Donner, and this year’s overall winner, Robin Shute, agreed with that assessment.
Compounding the issue was the class tire rule requiring a specific street tire be used regardless of conditions. Being presented by Yokohama, that tire is the Advan A052 ultra-high performance summer tire. It still has some grooves to expel water, but not many, and there was still snow on the sides of the road near the peak from the previous night’s storm.
“Thankfully, traction wasn’t an issue,” Lieberman said. “The grip was great. That said, this car isn’t making a ton of power, so you really only have to worry about spinning them in the first gear corners. I just couldn’t see.”
Despite the conditions, Lieberman not only made it to the summit, but finished just off the podium in fourth place out of six in his class and 53rd overall out of 72.
Randy Pobst
Veteran racer and MT contributor Randy Pobst also struggled with the conditions, but in different ways. His Model S Plaid was running in the more permissive Exhibition class which allows the team to choose between a Yokohama slick race tire and a treaded wet weather tire. Pobst opted for the wet tire and was actually feeling confident about his chances ahead of his run.
“I think this weather could be an advantage for us,” Pobst said. “With the weight of the car and the all-wheel drive, we should be able to drive off the really tight corners a lot harder than some of the other cars in our class.”
Unfortunately, an entirely different weather-related issue vexed his race. In the coldest, wettest, foggiest top section, Pobst’s windshield fogged up. Unable to find the defroster control buried in the Tesla’s onscreen menus while racing up the mountain at over 100 mph with extremely limited visibility, Pobst resorted to loosening his shoulder harnesses so he could lean far enough forward to wipe a bit of the windshield with his glove.
On the bright side, the cooler temperatures and the decision to run significantly less regenerative braking on race day helped cure a battery overheating issue the team had run into earlier in the week. Fine-tuning the suspension and ride height also helped keep the car’s comically large front splitter from smashing on the ground in the extremely bumpy section at Cog Cut, a corner near the peak where one of Lieberman’s class competitors went off in practice after being unable to stop the car once it became unsettled on the bumps.
Still, fourth in class and 19th overall isn’t what last year’s Exhibition class winner was hoping for.
There’s Always Next Year
Like all the greatest racing events out there, Pikes Peak tends to sink its claws in those who dare to run it. Lieberman’s feeling of being robbed of a proper run was pervasive amongst the drivers, all of whom were disappointed with their times. This year’s winner was more than 30 seconds behind the 2021 winner (the last year it was run at full length). Everyone wants another go, and Unplugged Performance has already committed to returning next year for another run at the four-door EV record. Lieberman, meanwhile, is already talking to new potential sponsors for next year’s race. MotorTrend representation at Pikes Peak is looking pretty solid for 2023—and maybe beyond.
Keyword: Jonny Lieberman and Randy Pobst Battled Mountain and Weather at Pikes Peak