RYAN CHEEK RACES WITH PURPOSE AT PIKES PEAK IN AMERICAN X KART
Colorado Springs, CO – With only four weeks left for drivers to prepare themselves and their cars for the 103rd Running of The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, presented by Gran Turismo, the anticipation is shifting into high gear.
Each competitor is eager for their chance to navigate the famous 156 turns, including Ryan Cheek. Making her home in Black Mountain, NC, Cheek will be strapped in behind the wheel of her 2021 American X Kart Cross Kart in the Open Wheel division.
“Getting to be in the paddock with all these other racers, and seeing them in person, is just energizing. It feeds the soul.”
Ryan Cheek
RACING TOWARD PIKES PEAK
Early on, Cheek became active with the BMW CCA. She then attended BMW’s Performance Driving School and was a regular attendee at the Club’s autocross competitions.
Cheek began exploring competitive motorsports through autocross and claimed back-to-back season wins in her class with her local club. She also experienced drag racing, drifting, karting, short course and road course driving.
Asked if she’s witnessed an increase in the number of women competing in motorsports, Cheek exclaimed, “Absolutely. There has been a heavy presence in autocross, and I’m definitely seeing more in hill climbing, wheel-to-wheel, Trans Am, and IMSA.”
She continued, “While I’m the first racer in my family, my daughter currently competes in autocross, helps crew for teams, and works comms as a spotter, in the ChampCar Endurance Series. I love seeing it.”
“I’d encourage any woman hoping to pursue a career in motorsports to follow that passion! Absolutely anything is possible. Believe in yourself, be authentic, stay focused, be mindful of whom you surround yourself with, and know that it won’t always be easy.”
AMERICAN X KART ON AMERICA’S MOUNTAIN
“The way I became involved with American X Kart is every grassroots driver’s dream,” explained Cheek. “The owners, Scott & Susan McMillion, approached me at PRI in December 2023, curious to know if I was interested in driving their crosskart at Pikes Peak in 2024. The same crosskart that Johan Schwartz successfully competed with, and finished in, at PPIHC in 2021.”
“As the saying goes, ‘Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth,’ so I didn’t, and accepted their offer immediately!
“Having been able to compete with the kart at hill climbs on the East Coast, as well as PPIHC, my racing heart has been captured by just how capable that little rocketship is! It’s super lightweight, has a very fun, high-revving power train, and the American X Kart’s fabricated chassis and suspension geometry have proven that just about anyone can get in the seat and go fast! The kart is communicative to the driver and has a lot of adjustability to suit the needs of any given challenge.”
RACING CHALLENGES
“I knew the kart wasn’t right when I left the line, but it got better as I went,” shared Cheek, reflecting on her first race on Pikes Peak. She went on to explain, “On race day, it just died. I took off like normal, and it died. I did what I could to get going, but it took me several tries to get it started at the line. I tried riding the clutch, give it more gas, and it died again. I had a moment of thinking maybe I need to pull over, because I hadn’t even crossed the timing loop. But, on the third time, it started and I just did everything in my racer brain to keep it going.”
“The bottom section was super stressful. I started gaining some momentum but couldn’t get full throttle. Then, it started to improve, so I thought it was a tuning issue. The kart was running the best when I came through Devils. I came around the turn and I saw the little marmot in the middle of the road and debated – go inside or outside.”
“I went to the outside, and downshifted into the hairpin, but as I started digging out, I suddenly realized I wasn’t going any further. The motor blew at Bottomless Pit. The worst part was I knew that I was so far up the hill, and now there was a red flag and the drivers behind me would have to restart.”
Cheek continued, “I was the only rookie in my division, and my Open Wheel competitors were very accomplished and very fast. That was intimidating, and I had no expectation to finish anywhere except last place in the division. Now, as a racer, you don’t want to enter a race you know you’re gonna lose, but since everyone had been telling me, ‘Remember, you’re racing the mountain,’ I felt that put it in perspective.”
RACING FOR ALS
ALS or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, affects more than 32,000 people in the United States, with 5,000 new cases diagnosed annually.
Racing for ALS is a 501 3C, non-profit that raises awareness and funds through motorsports. All funds raised go directly to research facilities, Duke Neurology & ALS TDI, and Racing for ALS’s Patient Assistance Fund.
Cheek lost her father to the disease in April of 2020. In 2021, while at a Time Attack event at VIR, she learned about Racing for ALS and met its founder, Scott Lloyd, Jr. Cheek shared, “As much as I love hill climbs and racing, I love being an ambassador for Racing for ALS. I like to listen to people’s stories. It’s a passion for me. It gives me purpose in life to continue racing. I’m very, very blessed to have found the purpose behind my passion.”
wo other Racing for ALS drivers will join Cheek on Pikes Peak in June. Jeremy Lowder from Middlesex, NJ will return for his second attempt in the Unlimited division. Rookie, Kyle Wilder, racing out of Corona, CA will join Wilder in Unlimited group.
GET TO KNOW RYAN CHEEK
Instagram: @ryan_cheek_racing
Fun Facts:
“I’m mostly a big home body and a mother of two. My daughter is in college, and my son is in elementary school.
“If I’m not racing, I’m just doing the normal everyday stuff. My average day is filled with cleaning the house, the never-ending laundry, figuring out what to have for dinner, and being frustrated that I’m not great at 4th grade curriculum!”
“I also enjoy antique shopping, fly fishing and hiking.”
“My daily driver is a 2024 RAM Power Wagon.”
Any Pikes Peak heroes or mentors? I admire anyone who takes on the challenge of racing up America’s Mountain. But of course, I revere the greats who’ve tackled the hill, especially the women. I was fortunate to chat with Kathryn Mead at the top of the hill in 2023. She said, ‘I just do this for fun!’ And that resonated with me.”
Three Must-Haves in the Race Trailer: “Besides the assortment of needed tools, fluids and extra parts, three things that I need: San Pellegrino sparkling water, (so bougee, I know!), a comfy hoodie or blanket, and my crocs.”
Any significance to your race number? “Scott McMillion, the owner of American X Kart, gave it 83. His father Worth McMillion raced NASCAR in the 1960s and 83 was his number. 1983 also happens to be the year I was born, so it seems serendipitous.”
Do you have a name for your race car? “All my cars are named after characters from the X-Men comic books. The kart is called Remy/Gambit, interchangeably. Gambit’s superhuman power is that he can turn potential energy, stored in inorganic objects, into kinetic energy. After driving the kart for the first time, it felt very fitting!”
Advice for a PPIHC rookie:
1) Be prepared for the most challenging week of your life.
2) Have an open heart and an open mind, be adaptable.
3) GO FOR IT!
RYAN CHEEK’S PPIHC AMERICAN X KART ON THE DYNO
Photos by: Larry Chen Photo; Larry Chen, Luis Garcia; Louis Yio, Charles Zhou, Payton Smith. John McMillion, SCCA Magazine, Racing for ALS
ABOUT THE COLORADO SPRINGS AIRPORT
The Colorado Springs Airport provides a travel experience that prioritizes friendliness, safety, and comfort. Enjoy the speed and convenience of a small airport with options on daily nonstop flights and hundreds of connections worldwide. COS is committed to delivering exceptional service and a warm welcome to all our passengers, making your journey memorable from start to finish. For more information visit FlyCOS.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Your adventure begins here at the Colorado Springs Airport.
Contact:
Lisa Haight
Communications Manager / Historian
lisa@ppihc.org
(719) 685-4400
www.ppihc.org
