DENVER’S SPENCER STEELE TO CELEBRATE TWO DECADES IN THE RACE TO THE CLOUDS
Colorado Springs, CO – With just over two months until an elite field of 70 drivers challenge the summit of Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain, Spencer Steele is prepping his entry and looking forward to his 20th attempt. Steele shares not only a passion for racing on Pikes Peak, but also shares a first name with the founder of this iconic race, Spencer Penrose.
Reflecting on the first time he drove to the summit of Pikes Peak, Steele, PPIHC veteran racer recalled, “I was a 16-year-old teenager, and I took my dad up the mountain. I couldn’t believe he let me drive!” It would be nearly 25 years before Steele began racing up the famed highway.
Taming the Coyote
Steele returned to the mountain in 2000 for his first competitive assault on the 12.42 mile course in his 1994 Wells Coyote. The Wells Coyote, a purpose-built car for Pikes Peak, was designed, built and raced by PPIHC Hall of Famer John Wells of Green Mountain Falls, Colorado. These sought-after race cars took the mountain by storm, chalking up wins and setting records.
Despite a DNF during his first attempt, Steele was back in 2001, finishing sixth in the Open Wheel division. His first podium finish came in 2005, when he claimed second place in the same division in the popular Coyote in 11:36.11.
In 2010, Steele’s finish time dipped below 11 minutes for the first time. He would win the Open Wheel division in 2010, 2011, and the wildfire-postponed race in 2012.
When asked why he preferred to race open wheel cars for so many years, Steele replied, “They were the fastest and were my favorite cars when I was a spectator.”
Steele was back again in 2013 behind the wheel of a new racecar, the #88 PVA Special and joined the 9-Minute Club with a clocking of 09:57.513. His time earned him a 5th place Unlimited division finish. The course was now fully paved and competition was fierce. France’s Sébastien Loeb would not only win the division, but crush the existing course record with his time of 08:13.878.
In the 2015 race, Steele ran the PVA Special in the Pikes Peak Challenge – Open Wheel division, taking second with his best time to date, 09:53.494.
Steele entered the 100th Anniversary race in 2016, but a practice day brake failure put him into the guardrail and he was sidelined on race day.
Vintage Record
In 2017, Steele entered the Open Wheel division pursuing the Vintage Record for vehicles previously raced on the mountain. In his 1995 PVA 2, he set a record of 10:25.989. Steele would compete three times between 2017 and 2022, collecting two third place trophies.
Steele is scheduled to compete once again in the 2024 Open Wheel division in the methanol-fueled, 1800 lb., 2.1L PVA Peak Special. It will be his 20th year on America’s Mountain.
CHCA Shout Out
Steele, like so many PPIHC competitors, enjoys racing in the Colorado Hill Climb Association series. He’s captured the CHCA Open Wheel points championship eleven times. While the series may change from time to time, every locale offers something spectacular, from the Monarch Hill Climb in the mountains above Salida, to the Rangely Hill Climb (Steele’s favorite race course), the Temple Canyon road near Canon City, and the popular Land’s End race just east of Grand Junction, the twisting gravel roads mimic the once-gravel surface of Pikes Peak. For local fans, there’s also a hill climb on the grounds of Pikes Peak International Raceway in September.
According to Steele, “CHCA is like a close knit family, a little squabbley at times, but very welcoming! When there’s a problem with your car, it’s not hard to find help whether it be tools or parts, advice or whatever.”
GET TO KNOW SPENCER STEELE
Fun Facts:
“I competed in the inaugural North American F.A.T. Ice Race in Aspen, Colorado this year and ended up winning my class.”
“When I first started racing, I picked my race #40, based on my age at the time.”
“My daily driver is a Jeep SRT8, or my GT500 if I’m steppin’ out.”
Any Pikes Peak Heroes? “Yes. Louie Unser. Love the old-time photo with the marks on his face from the hail!”
Favorite Corner: “Just below Double Cut, but back when it was dirt.”
Advice for rookie drivers on the mountain? “Relax. Don’t take this too seriously…which is impossible.”
If you could race any car up Pikes Peak, what would it be? “The electric Volkswagen I.D. R.”
What keeps you coming back to Pikes Peak? “The people who make this race happen. They value the local competitors too.”
What makes racing on Pikes Peak different than racing anywhere else? “Awesome views and no air!”
Watch Steele’s 2015 Post-Race Interview and Personal Best Run
Photos by: Larry Chen Photo, Luis Garcia, Jason Zindroski, Louis Yio, Revvolution.com, Rob Miskowitch, Nathan Leach-Proffer, Rupert Berrington, Joel Yust
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Contact:
Lisa Haight
Communications Manager / Historian
lisa@ppihc.org
(719) 685-4400
www.ppihc.org
