RACING THE UNCONVENTIONAL, ROOKIE TAKES AUDI WAGON TO PIKES PEAK
Colorado Springs, CO – The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, presented by Gran Turismo, draws racers from all sorts of motorsport backgrounds each year. Even a Colorado-based driver with tons of experience in other forms of racing can find themselves in a totally new environment with Pikes Peak, in part because of the draw of racing something so completely different.
Such was the case for Fort Collins native, Scott Anderson, who made his debut on the mountain in 2025. In a vast departure from his prior racing experience in open-wheel and rally, Anderson strapped into a 1991 Audi 200 Avant for his first attempt at the Race to the Clouds.
A BUCKET LIST RACE
“Pikes Peak is one of those bucket list races, maybe the top of the bucket list for me, especially growing up in Colorado,” Anderson said before the race. “For me, it’s definitely a different kind of race from what I’m used to, so I didn’t really know what to expect, which was honestly half the excitement.”
One of the biggest draws to Pikes Peak was its unique, one-shot nature. Without the benefit of frequent repetition that comes from circuit racing, much less the benefit of a co-driver as in stage rally, it’d be up to Anderson to stretch his skill set to get the most out of his time on the mountain.
“I’ve never had to memorize, without a co-driver, 12-something miles of road,” he admitted. “I usually have a new track figured out pretty fast, but we’re talking what, 10-20 corners? And you get to see them again every few minutes. This is 156 corners, and race day is your first full run bottom to top.”
Anderson let a key piece of advice from friends and former PPIHC competitors, Mary and Kendall Samuel, guide him above all others: it’s just a road.
“For me being a rookie, everything’s such an unknown. Over 12 miles, can I memorize it enough? How’s the car gonna change from the bottom to the top? You’re racing up a 14’er, it’s easy to overcomplicate it, but, at the end of the day, it is just a road…a really cool one.”
SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
Anderson’s racing career path has been a unique one, starting with a journey through most of the Road to Indy, and later progressing into rallycross and stage rally. For some drivers, that background leads them to pick something fairly traditional if they ever make it to the mountain; not so for Anderson, whose car and class choice was all about the diversity.
“What’s attracted me a lot to Pikes Peak is the unique cars, and Pikes Peak Open is where you see a lot of that,” he explains. “You see a lot of creativity and unique stuff racing. I’m always kind of into the weird cars, running a car that might not make sense. Can people make it work?
“Even if it doesn’t necessarily perform well, doing something new and different is so cool and pushes the progression of the sport. And if it does perform well, even better!”
By teaming up with accomplished rally co-driver and photographer Drew Carlson, Anderson would accomplish just that. Carlson and his wife Cindi have been mainstays of the rallying, hillclimb, and even ice racing worlds for years. With their 3 Cats Max Racing team, and Drew’s 1991 Audi 200 Avant, Anderson was poised for his Pikes Peak debut.
“It’s actually pretty lightweight, it’s now got a v8, it’ll make decent power but for sure it’s underpowered comparatively. It’s a recipe to, at least, not be slow! But more importantly, it’s fun, loud and unique.
“It’s a rally car first and foremost, so I’ve got to be realistic with my expectations. But I’m a wagon kind of guy, and I like old Audis. So for me, it’s maybe not the most practical thing to be running, but that’s part of the appeal.”
“It’s a unique car for sure—an old, long Audi wagon that probably spent most of its life driving kids to soccer practice.”
Scott Anderson
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
Pikes Peak is a unique challenge where things frequently don’t go to plan, whether on race day itself or in the weeks leading up to it. Anderson’s ideal pre-race plan included multiple days of testing the Audi and possibly a stage rally alongside the performance driving events he works at his day job; in reality, there’d be much less time in the seat before race week.
“My first day in the car was on the mountain, the first time the car drove besides around neighborhoods too, so we started with just a guess on setup,” Anderson explained. “Probably the biggest thing that caught me off was how much the road changes from bottom to top.”
“Starting off fast and smooth, generally warmer temperature. The lower section was the most familiar, though it was the hardest to memorize, I still don’t have it down. The middle being steep climbs, big exposure and really slow hairpins, and the top being really fast at times, but way more bumpy than I thought. I was surprised how tricky the top was, a lot more blind, and unpredictable because of the bumps.”
Nonetheless, the team got it together when it mattered most on race day. On this year’s shortened course, Anderson turned in a 4:57.287, good for a top-50 place overall and 13th in Pikes Peak Open. The time also placed him third among the eight rookies in the division, and gave him a good read on what to focus on for the future.
“Big things for next year are just having the road at least somewhat memorized, and if I’m in the same car, having more of a known quantity in the setup and how it behaves,” he said. “What I still don’t know is what a bottom to top run will be like, having to preserve the car much more on the full length. Having a bit more confidence in what the car’s gonna do, and more confidence in knowing at least the majority of the road now, we can hit the ground running a bit more, more focus building speed through practice week rather than just getting through it.”
GET TO KNOW SCOTT ANDERSON
Instagram @scotty_dk_anderson
Fun Facts:
“Skiing is what I was doing before I ever even got into racing. When I was just getting out of high school, that was the direction I thought I wanted to go. But about a year later, I did a some local SCCA races, and a Skip Barber Racing School and that was when the shift happened.”
“The mountain sports industry—skiing, mountain biking—has always been a fun thing for me, and it just kind of stayed that way. It’s just a way to have some fun, relax and screw around with friends. I go like a week or so without doing one of those things, and I start to go nuts.”
“If I have a superstition, it’s not having superstitions. That way I’m not in a situation where I can’t have them and can’t break my routine. No pre-race music or any of that, nothing to hype me up. Just get in and go!”
Favorite section of the mountain: “The very top just looks cool, because it’s so unique to see a race car at like 14,000 ft, it seems fast, and the top section to me is what makes Pikes Peak what it is.”
Must haves on the mountain: “A jacket in the car. Sometimes the weather’s great, sometimes it’s terrible, so just being prepared for whatever the heck the weather ends up being. Tires ready for adverse weather. And maybe some fruit snacks for the top.”
Other than Pikes Peak, what are some of your favorite racetracks? “Top three would probably be Mid-Ohio, Mosport, and Road America. I had a lot of fun at those tracks. I feel like I’ve naturally done better with tracks that aren’t just technical, but also incorporate a lot of elevation as well as different off and on camber corners.”
Do you have any go-to pre or post-race race meals? “Unless I’m starving, I don’t like to have like a much of a meal before I race. I’ll have some coffee, but I’m more of a post-event meal kind of guy. I feel like I’ve always just like done better on a somewhat empty stomach. I’m a little bit more like sharp that way. For a victory meal, a big steak and beer!”
RIDE ALONG WITH SCOTT ANDERSON IN HIS 2025 ROOKIE DEBUT ON PIKES PEAK
Larry Chen Photo – Larry Chen, Luis Garcia, Jason Zindroski.
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
