Mount Washington Hillclimb Auto Race facts for kids

The Mount Washington Hillclimb Auto Race is an exciting car race. It's also called the Climb to the Clouds. Drivers race their cars up the Mount Washington Auto Road to the top of Mount Washington in New Hampshire. This race is one of the oldest in the United States. It first happened on July 11 and 12, 1904. That's even before the famous Indianapolis 500 or the Pikes Peak Hill Climb! The race came back in 2011 and was held again in 2014 and 2017.

A Look Back: The Race's Story

The Mount Washington Hill Climb Auto Race happened many times from 1904 to 1961. Then it stopped for a long time. It didn't return until 1990. That's when Howie Wemyss, Robert Brotherus, and John Buffum brought it back. John Buffum was an 11-time champion in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) ProRally races.

Why the Race Started

Early car makers created this race. They wanted to show how good their new "horseless carriages" were. The Auto Road was perfect to prove these cars could handle tough climbs. The first "Climb to the Clouds" in 1904 had many different car brands. These included Rambler, Mercedes, Oldsmobile, Stanley Steamer, and Pierce. There was also one Daimler. Cars were put into groups based on their price.

First Winners and Early Records

Many thought the Daimler or the Stanley Steamer would win. But Harry Harkness won in a Mercedes. He drove the 7.4-mile (11.9 km) course in 24 minutes, 37 seconds. This was very fast! In 1899, the first car to climb the Auto Road took 2 hours, 10 minutes. That car was a Stanley Locomobile. The race starts at 1,604 feet (489 m) high. It finishes at the top, which is 6,260 feet (1,908 m) high. This makes the road very steep!

Famous Drivers and New Records

Many famous drivers have raced here. Erwin "Cannonball" Baker won in 1928 and 1932. He drove a Franklin and a Graham eight. Carroll Shelby set a record in 1956. He drove a special Ferrari roadster in 10 minutes, 21.8 seconds. In 1961, Bill Rutan set a new record of 9:13.0. He drove a Porsche Carrera-powered Volkswagen. This record stood for a long time!

When the race returned in 1990, Tim O'Neil broke the record. He drove a VW Golf rally car in 7:45. The current record is super fast: 5 minutes, 28.67 seconds! Travis Pastrana set this record in 2021. He drove a Subaru WRX STI. He also held the record before that, with 5 minutes, 44.72 seconds in 2017. Before him, David Higgins from the Isle of Man held the record. He drove a WRX STI in 6 minutes, 9.09 seconds in 2014.

The fastest speed ever reached was 113 mph (182 km/h). Jerry Driscoll set this in 1999. He drove a powerful "Hillclimb Special" car. In 2011, he broke his own record, reaching 114.6 mph (184.4 km/h)! Travis Pastrana has even reached speeds of 130 mph!

Recent Races

In 2004, the event started again as a historic race. It focused on older, classic cars. The last big hillclimb race before 2011 was in 2001. Paul Choiniere won it in 4:59.73. He drove a powerful Hyundai Tiburon.

The 2014 race was special. It included the first electric race car! The EVSR, an electric car from Entropy Racing, raced. Tim O'Neil drove it in 7:28. He beat his old record and set the fastest electric car record on Mount Washington.

Race Winners Over the Years

Key: R = Course record

See also

• Giants Despair Hillclimb
• Hillclimbing in the United States
• Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
• Mount Washington Road Race
• Mount Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb