Diesel Record Unbroken at Pikes Peak

The 100th running of the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb was this past Sunday. Among more than 70 competitors was Scott Birdsall with his 1949 Ford F1 (at 52:40). If you’ve listened to Speed School Podcast with Gale Banks ep 5, you know Scott returned this year with a 3.0L EcoDiesel-equipped LeMans Prototype car featuring a Banks racing intake manifold. Meanwhile, the diesel record-holding Cummins-powered 1949 Ford F1 pickup, was piloted by TV’s Aaron Kaufman.

During the week of practice, racers enjoyed near-perfect weather all the way to the 14,115′ summit. However, Sunday was another story. Rain, fog, and snow slowed drivers. Many left the starting line unable to see more than 1,000 yards. This resulted in much slower speeds. None of the diesel-powered vehicles were able to beat Scott Birdsall’s record of 11:24.065 set in 2020. Scott himself, piloting an EcoDiesel-powered LeMans Prototype, spun out and lost power. Although he was able to restart the car and get to the finish line, he wasn’t even close to his previous record set in Old Smokey. Meanwhile, Aaron Kaufman, driving Old Smokey, was just 29 seconds ahead of Birdsall. If the weather didn’t slow them down, mechanical issues would. LYFE Racing’s 6.0L Power Stroke-equipped Nissan GTR didn’t make it past the first section before breaking down.

The quickest overall time, regardless of vehicle class, was achieved by England’s Robin Shute who piloted his 2018 Wolf TSC-FS car to the summit in an impressive 10:09.525 despite poor visibility and lack of tire grip. “I just found it frustrating to slow down, I love feeling this road,” Shute told the United Kingdom’s Gazette. “I’m happy to be here. It’s always great to be up here, it’s a bummer with the conditions because you can’t even see how special this is.” Robin will likely be back next year in an attempt to beat his 2019 time of 9:12.476. 

Stay tuned to find out how Gale Banks plans to beat the diesel record in 2023.