On Sunday US time, Brett Dickie will tackle the famous Pikes Peak Hillclimb in Colorado. The penultimate practice session was cancelled due to weather condition and have just one more opportunity before the Fan Fest and the actual Climb to the Clouds.
For the 101st running of the event, Dickie is the lone Australian that will take on the Peak and has again linked FastR Motorsport Promotions. He is competing in the Honda S2000 he used at Pikes Peak in 2021, though for this year, the car has been significantly upgraded.
That year Dickie was a rookie and finished 31st outright and sixth in the Unlimited class. Midweek Dickie qualified on the lower section, on a three-minute stage and went 25s faster than two years ago.
Built by the Californian-based Project Import, the car features a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine which delivers 800hp (596kW) with Emitron ECU, through a six-speed paddle shift operated gearbox. The revised aero has been designed by RS Future.
It will be the Victorian Sports Sedan and Time Attack driver’s second Stateside visit this year. He competed at the Circuit of Americas in March at the Super Lap Battle. Fuel issues and a broken front splitter thwarted his efforts, and he finished ninth in the Unlimited class and 22nd overall.
Dickie has been in Colorado throughout the Pikes Peak leadup which started with first partial practice sessions on June 9 and 11. Actual race week kicked off on June 19 with qualifying sessions on the bottom, middle and top sections of the 20-kilometre hillclimb. Ice, for and even snow has caused delays and concellations.
The Race to the Clouds will have 100 entries and will be the only opportunity for entrants to do the entire course. It takes place on public toll road with 156 turns and climbs 4,720 feet (1,440 metres). From the 9,390 feet (2,862m) start line at the Mile 7 marker and finishes at the 14,115 feet (4,300m) mountain summit.