---
title: "These Are the Sights and Sounds of the 2019 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb"
description: "Turbocharged, supercharged, and fully electric—these are the angry sounds that delighted us this weekend."
date: "2019-07-01"
modified: "2019-07-01"
authors:
  - name: "Jerry Perez"
    job_title: "Deputy Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/28791/these-are-the-sights-and-sounds-of-the-2019-pikes-peak-international-hill-climb"
categories:
  - "News"
  - "Racing"
---

# These Are the Sights and Sounds of the 2019 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2019/07/NLP_0039.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

At 14,115 feet in elevation, the Pikes Peak summit is *only* the [39th highest](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_highest_major_summits_of_the_United_States>) in the United States. That being said, it boasts one unique feature that sets it apart from the rest while earning it a special place in our hearts: you can drive a freaking race car to it.

This past weekend marked the [97th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/28767/the-coolest-cars-of-pikes-peak-international-hill-climb-day-1>), and *The Drive* was there to witness the intense, dramatic, and downright life-threatening challenge that is racing a car or motorcycle through 12.42 miles of double-apex, off-camber, and decreasing radius turns on the side of a darn mountain. And let's not forget the dozen or so hair-raising hairpins. In total, racers have to negotiate 156 turns to get to the summit.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzXCW8Hhf7G

The sights and sounds we experienced were nothing short of incredible, with a roster of racing machinery more diverse than the dish selection at your local, all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet. Exactly how diverse? There was a vintage VW Beetle with a TDI engine and full aero kit racing on the same course as a Porsche Cayman GT4 and a fully electric motorcycle. Oh, and let's not forget the [400-horsepower Acura MDX Sport Hybrid](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/28607/acura-mdx-sport-hybrid-with-more-than-400-hp-to-race-at-2019-pikes-peak-international-hill-climb>) and 900-horsepower 1949 Ford pickup truck with a rear spoiler the size of Shaquille O'Neal.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzWp4sehGHi

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzZHYN3gP9A

As you can see on our Instagram account, the speed (and the danger that comes along with it) is very real at Pikes Peak. We were [witnesses to a scary crash](<https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17854874554454630/>) involving an electric motorcycle directly in front of our viewing area, which saw a racing bike and its rider slide on the road at around 85 miles per hour after losing control on corner entry, before flying off into the woods. The motorcycle smashed into a tree, but luckily the rider didn't. Sadly, Ducati rider and former "King of the Mountain" Carlin Dunne didn't enjoy the same luck, with him crashing just 20 yards away from the finish line [and losing his life as a result of it](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/28782/ducati-rider-carlin-dunne-dies-in-final-corner-crash-at-2019-pikes-peak-hill-climb>).

Pikes Peak is a must if you're a motorsport, car, or motorcycle enthusiast. If you couldn't make it out this year, then hopefully these photos and videos will give you a slight idea of just how insane it is.

## Author
Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/drive_jerry/>)