FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Wednesday, October 5, 2022
Colorado Springs, CO – The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has announced Melissa Eickhoff will lead the organization into the next century of racing on Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain. PPIHC Chairman of the Board Fred Veitch shared, “With just over one hundred years of racing history in our rearview mirror, we welcome Melissa Eickhoff and the wealth of experience she brings. She is well versed in every aspect of motorsports from operations to brand strategy. Plus, as an industry insider, she is a natural fit to lead the PPIHC.”
Eickhoff arrives in Colorado from Penske Entertainment in Indianapolis where she served as Director of Partnerships for the NTT INDYCAR Series and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Her previous experience as Events and Sponsorship Manager for Team Yokohama included developing programs with Nitro Circus, Spartan Race, SEMA Ignited, Travis Pastrana and Gymkhana.
“I am honored to take on the Executive Director role with the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb,” stated Eickhoff. “From the first time I experienced this event in 2018 as a sponsor I was smitten. It is an absolutely unique and iconic challenge in the motorsport world. I’m looking forward to offering industry best practices, discovering growth opportunities and elevating fan engagement.”
Since 2009 Eickhoff has immersed herself in the auto racing industry including as Client Services Manager for Red Bull Global Rallycross for two seasons, and TORC The Off-Road Championship in 2015. As Marketing and Partnerships Director for Dempsey Racing from 2011 through 2014, Eickhoff’s roles included social media execution, driver management and guest experiences. She was also Executive Producer for the 5-part docuseries, Patrick Dempsey: Racing Le Mans that aired on Velocity and Discovery International. A second Velocity production, the one-hour documentary One Way – The Story of Leadfoot, saw Eickhoff function as Producer.
Eickhoff has also been an engaging contributor to motorsports blogs, features and social media for MyLifeAtSpeed, RACER and Autoweek.
To round out an already stellar motorsports career, Eickhoff brings her unique behind-the-wheel perspective as a former competitor in off-road desert racing where she earned four podium finishes as driver and navigator.
ABOUT THE PIKES PEAK INTERNATIONAL HILL CLIMB
First staged in 1916, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the second oldest race in America. The invitation-only event, often referred to as The Race to the Clouds is held annually on the last Sunday of June on Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain, near Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. The famous 12.42-mile (20 km) course consists of 156 turns, boasts an elevation gain of 4,725 feet (1,440 m), and reaches a finish line at 14,115 feet (4,302 m) above sea level. The PPIHC’s six race divisions feature a wide variety of vehicles – from production-based Time Attack challengers to purpose-built Open Wheel racers and state-of-the-art Unlimited vehicles. The current race record was set in 2018 by Romain Dumas and Volkswagen in the all-electric I.D. R Pikes Peak – 07:57.148.
Photo Credit: PPIHC – Kyle Boyle
Contact:
Alex Feeback
Event Coordinator / Competitor Liaison
alex@ppihc.org
(719) 685-4400
