DAN NOVEMBRE SHARES THE TRUE MEANING OF PIKES PEAK
Colorado Springs, CO – The 2024 Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, presented by Gran Turismo, is now in the rear view mirror. With the coming holiday season and a new year of racing action on the horizon, it’s the perfect time to talk about the importance of family and how they support their drivers. Meet Dan Novembre, a Colorado-based driver whose family is at the heart of his team.
FIRST IMPRESSION
Dan November, and his brother, began watching the Pikes Peak Hill Climb as teenagers when they moved to Colorado. They eventually volunteered to work the race so they could see the action up close. Finding a race car on Craigslist in 2009 set his dreams in motion, and he’s competed in the Race to the Clouds ever since. In his rookie year, he clocked a time of 14:08.589 in his 2006 Wells Coyote.
RACING RUNS IN THE FAMILY
“I dreamed of racing as a kid and was always a big race fan, along with my brother and sister,” explained Novembre, “but I’m the only one who races cars. That said, we’re a pretty competitive family. My sister races bikes in several categories (road cycling, mountain biking, cyclo-cross, and track/velodrome) and my brother races sailboats, most notably the iconic Chicago to Mackinac Island annual race. We have a joke between the siblings about how my team name, Novembre Racing, really applies to all of us.”
“My parents have been very supportive throughout the years,” shared Novembre. “Dad has helped me many times on the pit crew during the early morning practices and race days. Mom has catered lunch for the long race days, setting up a wonderful spread of food. It’s great to have my parents there as part of the adventure.”
RACE CAR NAMES – A FAMILY TRIBUTE
“Early on, I started a tradition with naming my car with the initials of my family,” explained Novembre. “It started in 2011, naming my Wells Coyote the “KMH Special” for my wife and two kids at the time: Kajsa, Moses, and Haley. Well, by 2020 we had five kids and the car was a KMHRAL special! Adding Rhys, Annie, and Luke. When my wife was pregnant and we still hadn’t settled on a name I would add a +1 to the name as a clue that someone new was on the way.”
CLOSE-KNIT CREW
“This crew is an amazing group of people,” Novembre expressed. “We all met through work actually, but have become very close friends. Most notably my early, now retired, crew chief Anthony Joseph, and my latest crew chief, Patrick Bernard. I enjoy brainstorming on how to do better every year and strategizing the race day game plan.”
“Patrick introduced me to his longtime friend, Terry Cooper, (pictured below, left), who led our team for years and helped us get a sub-10 minute run with the Open Wheel car. Unfortunately, we lost him during the pandemic and have missed him ever since.”
“We always talked about stepping up to a car like a Wolf. So shortly afterward, we made the jump and are now living out our dream of going even faster. As a tribute to Terry, I now call the Wolf the “TC Special” so he is always with us.”
THE HILL CLIMB FAMILY
I raced with the CHCA (Colorado Hill Climb Association) series for years and was awestruck by how helpful and fun everybody was; folks like the O’Maleys and Shucrafts would give you the shirt off their backs.
“I learned early on what it’s like to be part of the ‘hill climb family’. Nothing can beat it.”
Dan Novembre
Whether Dan was running his Wells Coyote, his Novembre Special, or his 2013 Wolf, the experience with his fellow competitors was the same.
“On Pikes Peak, it’s like a family reunion,” he exclaimed. “Not seeing some people from out of state, or even out of country, all year and then reuniting in June, it’s like we were never apart. Everybody is looking out for each other and cares so much about every single effort on the mountain.”
A FAMILY OF FANS
Since the inception of the Fast 15 qualifiers in 2021, Novembre has been on the list of top qualifiers every year, this year qualifying third overall behind France’s Romain Dumas and Italy’s Christian Merli.
Novembre enjoys getting fans to sign his car as much as he likes signing autographs.
REFLECTING ON 2024
In June, Novembre was back behind the wheel of his 2013 Wolf GB08S TC Special ready to challenge the 14,115’ summit for the sixteenth time. Despite a successful streak on the mountain with 15 consecutive finishes, including his personal best race time of 09:27.611 in 2023, Novembre found himself making a tough decision after exiting the Ws.
He explained, “About three quarters through the race in the W’s, the toughest part of the mountain, I not only was experiencing near fatal water and oil temperatures, my brakes started going out. I lost all brakes due to overheating fluid and had to use the engine to slow the car down. Rather than risking hurting the car, or myself, I decided to pull over at 16 Mile and call it a day.”
In the true spirit of family, Novembre jumped in to help fellow competitor, Henry Hill, get turned around for a restart.
Novembre said, “The 2024 race showed a ton of potential that we just weren’t able to realize on race day. We had very little test time due to late completion of the car, upgrades, and very little practice time due to bad weather impacting three of the four sessions.”
He reflected and shared, “After this year’s performance, you bet I’m asking for a bit more help from Santa for 2025!”
Though he had settled for his first ever DNF, what mattered most to this driver was another type of DNF, his Dan Novembre Family waiting for him after the race.
GET TO KNOW DAN NOVEMBRE
Instagram: @novembre_racing
Fun Facts:
“Every year after the Hill Climb, my family visits Yellowstone National Park and stay at the Old Faithful Inn.”
“I went to Air Academy High School here in Colorado Springs and ran Cross Country and Track.”
“I went to the Colorado School of Mines majoring in Mechanical Engineering, and I also played Ultimate Frisbee!”
“Oh, and Santa, I have a pretty big sweet tooth and love snacking on unique candy. My latest craze is freeze-dried Skittles!”
What’s faster, a Wolf or a flying reindeer? “Well, I am a numbers person, and this year with the twin-turbo system, we were around 800 horsepower. So, comparing 800 horses to one flying reindeer? Hmm.”
“On the other hand, if you ever do the math on how fast Santa has to be to get to every town in the world in one day, well, I guess I would never stand a chance!! Hint: It’s somewhere close to 3,000,000 miles an hour!”
Three Must-Haves in the Race Trailer: “1) Various Ryobi battery pack tools, there is literally something made for every need. 2) A whiteboard to jot down notes or thoughts. 3) Homemade cinnamon rolls! Gotta keep everyone going with the breakfast of champions.”
Advice for a Rookie: “Know the road! There are so many resources and videos to get to know all the turns. That will allow you to focus on more important things during practice week and race day. The other piece of advice is don’t rush to go faster, but incrementally step up the pace to know your limits and the car’s handling abilities. Each day the road conditions can vary greatly in terms of traction and how the suspension reacts. The more runs you make, the more you will learn, so just try to make every session and every run possible.”
WATCH DAN NOVEMBRE’S FASTEST RUN UP THE MOUNTAIN IN 2023 – 09:27.611
Photos by: Larry Chen Photo; Larry Chen, Luis Garcia, Jason Zindroski, PPIHC Archives
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