Mt. Washington Climb to the Clouds

The Mt. Washington hillclimb, known as the Climb to the Clouds, is recognized as one of the oldest motor sport events in the United States. Arguably one of the worlds most difficult hillclimb events, the Climb to the Clouds runs from the base of the auto road to the summit. The 7.6 mile course winds up the mountain and is lined by steep drops, boulders and trees. Combine that with Mt. Washington's unpredictable weather, and you have the makings of something very interesting for drivers and spectators alike. No doubt, this is a very exhilarating road at speed!

The first timed ascent of the Mt. Washington auto road in an automobile took a massive 2 hours and 10 minutes. However, the first official event was held in 1904, with a winning time of 24 minutes, 37 seconds set by an early Mercedes. The event continued to run annually until 1961, with auto manufacturers using it as a way to showcase their new vehicles. During that time many notable and talented drivers took part, including the legendary Carroll Shelby, who drove a specially prepared Ferrari 375 to a record time of 10min 21sec in 1956. Shelby's record would fall in 1961 to Bill Rutan, a New England native, who set a time of 9min 13sec.

After a 29 year hiatus the Climb to the Clouds returned in 1990 and ran yearly until 2001. During this time 6 records were set by three drivers. The current record of 6min 41 sec, was set by Frank Sprongl in 1998, driving his 500 horse-power Audi S2. A video of the record run can be seen here.

After not running for 10 years the Climb to the Clouds is returning as part of the auto roads 150th anniversary. Some of you may have heard of Travis Pastrana's record breaking run back in the fall. While his time of 6min 21sec is impressive, it is not considered an official record, as it was not done during competition. However, it did show that Sprongl's record will likely fall this June. The event will run from June 22-26th, and is open to spectators. More information can be found at the official Climb to the Clouds webpage. The expectations for the events return have been set high, but from what I hear, the organizers have planned quite an event. I would urge anyone who can to attend!

The entry process for the event began early this year and continued until February. After entries were received, 75 were selected to compete, and I am very excited to be one of those drivers! While the official entry list has not been released, I have feeling that there will be an impressive group of cars and drivers competing. Rumor has it that 4 of the 5 living record holders are slated to drive at the event. It is slightly intimidating to be part of such an affair, but Im confident that we can record some respectable times and represent Saab well. Hopefully we will have our new car completed in time to get some testing in before June. Thats not a long way off, better get back to work!