“Downright nasty” weather couldn’t stop the 100th Pikes Peak hillclimb

Enlarge / Tommy Boileau's 1967 Chevrolet Camaro is undeniably quick, but he had never raced it in the wet prior to the 2022 hill climb. (credit: Gregory Leporati)

Tommy Boileau is a bit nervous. The 28-year-old driver from Colorado Springs is about to participate in the historic 100th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb—a dangerous 12.4-mile (20-km) sprint up one of the highest summits of the Rockies—and a thick fog and rain have descended upon the mountain. His 1967 Chevrolet Camaro is undeniably quick, but there's one problem: he's never raced it in the wet.

"The owner and builder of the car say it handles really well in the rain," Boileau says with a laugh. "I'll have to take their word for it!"

Boileau's car is technically the second oldest in the field, and that's precisely what makes Pikes Peak such a unique phenomenon: though it has become a proving ground for innovative technology over the last 100 years, modified vintage cars and backyard creations can still compete for class wins.