CANADIAN JAY ESTERER HAS UNFINISHED BUSINESS ON PIKES PEAK
Colorado Springs, CO – With the month of June on the horizon, international competitors are preparing to travel to America’s Mountain to take part in the 103rd Running of The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, presented by Gran Turismo. Drivers representing thirteen countries, will strap in behind the wheel on June 22 for their one-shot attempt at glory on Pikes Peak.
Canadian Jay Esterer, racing out of Edmonton, Alberta, is eagerly anticipating his return to the mountain following a disappointing 2024 DNF. Esterer brings his redesigned entry for 2025, the Empire Wraith Pikes Peak. “The idea was to build as light a car as possible, but that wouldn’t fall apart,” said Esterer. “The car we have this year is entirely built by my team. The only thing we used from last year was the tub.”
WITNESSING GREATNESS
“One of my biggest racing heroes is Bobby Unser,” shared Esterer. “He’s one of the reasons I ended up at Pikes Peak. Bobby came to Alberta one winter to do ice racing. I was so impressed with how he approached it, since he said he’d never done it before. Still, they made him start at the back.”
“In one of the races,” Esterer explained, “Bobby clipped a snowbank and flipped the car. Everyone runs out there, and he’s not even undoing his seatbelts. He said, ‘Put the car on its wheels!’ They’re trying to, but it’s just sliding on the ice and filling up with snow through the open windows. Still, he didn’t undo his seatbelts. He just said again, ‘PUT THE CAR BACK ON ITS WHEELS!’ And they did. Then they shoveled out the snow, and he was back out there. It was a privilege to be on the track with him, and I learned a lot just by following him.”
ALL ROADS LEAD TO PIKES PEAK
Esterer came to Pikes Peak following his success in a variety of series. In 1989, he had a first place finish in a 25-car ice race in his home country. In 1991, he won multiple Canadian GT2 events. He also finished first in the DD2 Championship in Alberta in the early 2000s.
He finished on the podium twice at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in 2007. In 2011, Esterer was awarded the Peter Collins Trophy. Esterer was second at the Goodwood Revival in 2012 and 2014, and claimed a first place victory at Road America the following year.
RACE WEEK – 2024
“The car we brought last year was suitable for British hillclimbing and was meant to run a one-mile course,” Esterer explained. “I started modifying it for Pikes Peak which involved more horsepower, adding bigger wings, and a roll cage, which made it heavier.”
During practice sessions in the days leading up to the race Esterer experienced a multitude of problems. “So many factors contributed to my lack of practice time, including suspension components breaking, lots of engine tuning issues, two leaky exhaust valves, and just trying to keep it tuned for the altitude.” In fact, Esterer recalled, “The only run I got was during qualifying. Every other day the car was falling apart.”
But, qualifying was no problem for the 2024 Pikes Peak rookie. In fact, he was one of the Fast 15 qualifiers and was celebrated during the Fast 15 powered by OPTIMA Batteries autograph session at Fan Fest. Esterer stated, “After I did the run, which was fun, I felt like I left a lot on the table, because I was so cautious.”
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO RACE DAY
Esterer described his race day run, “I’d never run the car for more than three or four minutes at a time all week. So, on race day, by the end of the Ws, the brakes were getting so hot. I noticed the pedal getting long in the previous eight corners. It was going further and further toward the floor, so the failure wasn’t entirely unexpected.”
“It happened on the early apex of that last hairpin before Devils Playground. The brake pedal just went to the floor and I ended up spinning the car into the mountain.”
“The day I crashed, I thought, ‘I won’t make these mistakes again. I’ll come back better next year.'”
Jay Esterer
NEW AND IMPROVED, AND BACK ON THE HILL
“This year we’ve improved so many things in hopes of making the car stronger,” Esterer shared. “It’s heavier and more robust. We’re also experimenting with using a big fan on the back of the car to help create downforce, much like Jim Hall did with the Chaparral. We have a 20hp electric motor, powering a 24″ fan and the car will have full skirting. It’s ambitious, I know.”
“I feel we’ll be better prepared this year. My hope is to make a reliable run up the hill in a car that’s easy to drive.”
GET TO KNOW JAY ESTERER
Fun Facts:
“I enjoy jet boating, getting on the river and meeting up with my friends at a certain island.”
“I like mountain bike riding.”
“I have an airstrip on my farm. Flying airplanes feels like meditation to me.”
“I designed and built a 4km paved road race track on my property, Strawberry Creek Raceway. It’s the kind of track I love, with high speed corners and big elevation changes. We offer monthly open lapping and some public track days.”
Favorite section: “I’d have to go with the section I know the best – the lower section, up to Glen Cove. When I’m learning the course, I’m learning it in the sim. So, when you crash in the game, you have to start completely over. I have more practice on that lower section.”
Advice for a PPIHC Rookie: “Do everything you can to learn the mountain. Come with a simple, reliable car so that you don’t have to worry about any weird, haphazard modifications you’ve done to the car. Starting in the GT4 division is a good way to minimize your problems on the mountain.”
Significance behind your race number: “When I first raced winged sprint cars in 1993, I got the car done just in time to haul it to the track, but it didn’t have a number on it. I had to pick one when I got there. My criteria was it had to be a single digit number I could make with duct tape. So, #9 was the only one available, and I took it. I’ve just kept that number since.”
Favorite tracks: “Mosport in Ontario, or Watkins Glen in NY, and Sears Point in Northern CA. I absolutely love Donington in the UK. It’s got high speed, sweeping corners both up and downhill.”
What are your must-haves on the mountain? “We were able to fix all the parts that broke, so I’d say having a lot of tools and spare parts. Mattress and sleeping bag. Maybe a bottle of beer for after the race!”
Photo Credit: Larry Photo; Larry Chen, Luis Garcia, Charles Zhao, Jason Zindroski. PPIHC Archives. Strawberry Creek Raceway.
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Contact:
Lisa Haight
Communications Manager / Historian
lisa@ppihc.org
(719) 685-4400
www.ppihc.org
