Faggioli soared to a blistering 8:37.230 clocking as a rookie in the Unlimited Class last year, behind only the extraordinary all-time record 7:57.148 established by Romain Dumas of France in his Volkswagen I.D. R on America’s Mountain. The Italian driver returns in a loaded Unlimited lineup that also features Switzerland’s Fabien Bouduban, who was third last year.

Motorcycle star Chris Fillmore (Oxford, MI), the fastest rider in race history, will try to become the first triple record holder in Pikes Peak history when he competes in the Lightweight Division. He owns motorcycle records in two divisions, (9:49.625) Heavyweight Division, 2017 and (10:04.038) Middleweight Division, 2018.

The world’s most famous hill climb is still basking in the glow of the fabulous performance last summer by Dumas in his VW Electric auto. It was ranked third in the world among Autoweek’s Top Ten motorsports stories of 2018. More than 7,000 spectators from 23 countries and more than 40 states were on hand to see Dumas stage one of the most dramatic moments in the history of the race.

“We never know what amazing moments will become part of the race’s history,” said PPIHC Executive Director Megan Leatham, “and we have a wonderful lineup of competitors from around the world coming to Pikes Peak this summer to take on the mountain, so buckle up.”

View the 2019 Competitor List here.

for the 2019 Race to the Clouds:

Automobile Drivers

Simone Faggioli, Italy – Unlimited: Second in the prestigious Unlimited Division last year with a fabulous 8:37.230 clocking behind only the record 7:57.148 recorded by Romain Dumas. He’s a ten-time European mountain champion and will be behind the wheel of a 2018 Norma M20 SF PKB, the same auto that he piloted last summer on America’s Mountain to the fantastic sub-nine minute finish, third fastest in PPIHC history, and Rookie of the Year honors.

David Donohue, West Chester, PA – Pikes Peak Open: The champion in Time Attack 1 last year with a time of 9:37.152 driving a 2017 Porsche GT3 R, he’ll race a 2016 Porsche 911 this summer as he moves over to Pikes Peak Open. Donohue took second on Pikes Peak in 2017 in Time Attack 1. Son of racing legend Mark Donohue, David won the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans GT2 Class and was second in 2000. He won the 2009 Daytona 24 Hours race on the 40^th anniversary of his father’s win.

Peter Cunningham, Milwaukee, WI – Pikes Peak Open: Defending his 2018 crown on Pikes Peak in a 2019 Acura TLX GT, Cunningham clocked a 9:27.352, the third fastest time in the race and a Class record last year driving a 2018 Acura. As a PPIHC rookie in 2017, he won the Open Class with a time of 9:33.797. As a high school graduate in June 1980, Cunningham happened upon an autocross, a driving contest held in a parking lot around a pylon-defined course against the clock. After winning his class on that first day, he became enamored with and engulfed in the sport. Cunningham has 19 starts and five podium finishes in the American Le Mans Series.

Ray Evernham, Mooresville, NC – Exhibition: Back again in his 1936 Chevrolet Sedan, “The Ghost,” after taking the crown in the Pikes Peak Challenge Exhibition Class last summer (10:11.334). The Ghost is a custom-built race car designed to look like a modified that would have raced in the 1960s but features state-of-the-art mechanics and electronics. Evernham is a three-time Winston Cup Series Champion with driver Jeff Gordon. In 1999, Evernham won the NASCAR Winston Cup Illustrated “Person of the Year,” and was inducted to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Class of 2018.

Raphaël Astier, France – Time Attack 1: Second in Pikes Peak Open last summer, driving a 2007 Porsche 911 GT3 RS to a clocking of 9:53.718, Astier moves to TA1. This year he will drive a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Turbo on the Peak in search of a championship. Last year, the French pair of Astier and Frédéric Vauclaire, in the Abarth 124 rally belonging to Team Milano Racing, won the FIA R-GT world championship. Astier was second in 2016 in the Time Attack 1 field as the PPIHC Rookie of the Year.

Greg Tracy, Long Beach, CA – Unlimited: Tracy is the only person in Pikes Peak Hill Climb history to complete the race in under ten minutes racing both a car (Mitsubishi Electric, 9:08.188- 2014) and a motorcycle (Ducati, 9:58.262- 2012). He has seven motorcycle championships on Pikes Peak, beginning in 1996 with a victory in the 250cc Class. Tracy is one of the top stunt drivers in Hollywood, having spent the last two decades working in several hundred commercials, TV shows, and many of the top stunt driving films including Marvel’s Black Panther, Jack Reacher, The Avengers, The Fast and the Furious, Talladega Nights and The Bourne Ultimatum, a project that earned him a World Stunt Award. He’ll drive a 2019 Palatov D2EV in his move to Unlimited this year.

Jeff Zwart, Corona del Mar, CA – Pikes Peak Open: Zwart, who was inducted into the Pikes Peak Hill Climb Museum Hall of Fame in 2018, will make his 16^th appearance on Pikes Peak since his debut in 1989 and his first since 2015. He has won eight crowns in that span, most recently his 2015 win in the Time Attack 1 Division. Porsche enthusiast Zwart has worn many hats on Pikes Peak, first as a photographer for Road and Track magazine, then as a competitor, champion and most recently as a Porsche driving coach. Zwart’s Hill Climb experience covers competition in at least six classes, with all eight Class Championships captured behind the wheel of a Porsche. This year, he’s entered a 2010 Porsche. He dominated the High-Performance Showroom Stock Classes in the mid and late 1990s with four wins, including three division records. A visionary filmmaker, Jeff has directed multiple films and commercials on Pikes Peak, including Ken Block’s film “ClimbKhana” which was released in 2017 and has nearly 18 million views to date.

William Au-Yeung, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada – Unlimited: 2017 & 2018 Global Time Attack Pro Unlimited Champion. Took second place in Pro Am at WTAC 2017. Recorded the fastest North American time in 2018 at the Sydney Motorsports Park, where he took second in the ProAm Class. Fastest Time Attack Driver in Canada. Au-Yeung will drive a 2012 Honda Civic SI, one of the fastest time attack cars in the world.

Darren Law, Chandler, AZ – Time Attack 1: A Canadian-born American racing driver, he has been involved in the automotive and racing industry for more than two decades. Law established himself with his success as both a racing driver and a business man. Starting in Go-karts at age 11 he went on to win two karting championships as a teenager then further developed his professional driving career progressing into sports cars. Having spent more than a decade driving for several top tier teams, the majority of his time was spent behind the wheel of a Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche, one of the most highly recognized Porsche factory-supported GT racing programs. He also spent several years racing prototypes primarily with Brumos Porsche and Action Express. He achieved many successes including two driver’s championships, three trips to LeMans and the overall win at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2009 driving the Brumos Porsche Daytona Prototype. He will be behind the wheel of a 2013 McLaren 12C in his Pikes Peak debut. 

“I enjoy the challenge of Pikes Peak,” says Fillmore. “Figuring out how to go fast and learn something new. Watching the sun rise every morning for a week on top of a 14,000-foot mountain is pretty amazing too.”

Codie Vahsholtz, Woodland Park, CO – Pikes Peak Heavyweight: He’s a third-generation member of the famed Vahsholtz family, which owns more Pikes Peak titles than any family in history. He was third last year in the Heavyweight Division (10:12.703) and holds the record in the former Pikes Peak 250cc class, set in 2013. He also established series victories with the record time in 2017 for the Middleweight Division, the record time in 2015 for the Lightweight Division and in 2013 for the 250 Pro Class. With the 19 victories of his grandfather, Leonard Vahsholtz and the 23 wins of his father, Clint Vahsholtz, he carries on the family legacy on America’s Mountain again this summer. He will ride a 2019 Ducati Multistrada MTS-1260.

Joseph Toner, Scotland – Pikes Peak Lightweight: Toner was the winner last summer in the PPC Exhibition Powersport competition, riding a 2007 Aprilia SXV Custom motorcycle. He will ride the same machine this year as he moves into the Lightweight Division, his 8^th appearance on Pikes Peak. A Scotsman, he has fashioned a noted career, winning one Scottish Production Championship title as well as the British Endurance Championship.

Greg Chicoine, Jefferson, SD – Pikes Peak Lightweight: This veteran competitor will be back on Pikes Peak for his 20^th appearance, again riding his Kawasaki. He won the 1998 250cc Amateur title, then rattled off championships in 1999-2000-2001 in the 750cc Division. He tacked on a title in the 2007 450cc field. He owns Champion Cycle in South Sioux City, Nebraska.

Rennie Scaysbrook, Sydney, Australia – Pikes Peak Heavyweight: He’s been the runner-up in the division for the last three years, so maybe the fourth time will produce a crown for the Australian rider. He was the Rookie of the Year in 2016 when he logged a nifty 10:28.407 on his 2015 KTM Super Duke 1290 R. Scaysbrook became only the fifth rider in the history of the Hill Climb to break the 9-minute barrier in 2017 when he chalked up a 9:57.712. He will ride a 2018 Aprilia Tuono.

Rafael Paschoalin, São Paulo, Brazil – Pikes Peak Middleweight: Finished third last year in the division with a time of 10:38.380. Also took third in 2017 and sixth in 2016, so he’s aiming at a breakthrough on the Peak this year, riding a 2019 Yamaha MT-07. He’s also a veteran of the famed Isle of Man TT races over his career, averaging 119.499 mph in the TT2015 PokerStars Senior TT competition in the 2015 race.

Race Day – Sunday, June 30, 2019

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