Pikes Peak will always be the pinnacle of racing in Colorado, but if you’re anything like me, the moment the entirety of the course was paved over was the moment something was lost for the Race to the Clouds. Seeing cars trailing dust on the narrow switchbacks and powersliding on dirt in the hairpin corners were hallmarks of Pikes Peak for decades. While the new course is arguably safer and more responsible for the environment, there isn’t that much to miss…it isn’t like the state is low on dirt roads leading into mountainous terrain, that’s for certain. With the main spine of the Rocky Mountains splitting the state, it’s just the matter of a couple hours’ drive between prarie or high plateau and some sideways ridge-running fun.
The town of Monarch sits on the western side of the Rockes, near Buena Vista and Salida, and hosts the Monarch Hill Climb, part of the Colorado Hill Climb Association’s race schedule that runs from May through September each year. It’s got just the thing for anyone who was missing the dirt and dust from Pikes Peak, with some of the classes that compete, including stock cars and rally machines, ATVs, quads and more. This footage is from back in 2013, with a nice collection of ATVs, quads, Subarus, and two of the wildest Pontiacs we can think of. Who knew that we’d end up wanting a 1990 Grand Prix after seeing this footage?
Not sure how much “Grand Prix” there is that RWD monster, but in 1990 a real w-body Grand Prix with the factory turbo driveline it ran Pikes Peak. Was an interesting car.