Mount Washington Hillclimb Auto Race facts for kids

The Mount Washington Hillclimb Auto Race, also known as the Climb to the Clouds, is an exciting car race. It's a timed event where drivers race their cars up the Mount Washington Auto Road to the very top of Mount Washington in New Hampshire.

This race is one of the oldest car races in the United States! It first happened way back on July 11 and 12, 1904. That was even before famous races like the Indianapolis 500 and the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. After some breaks, the race was brought back in 2011 and has been held several times since.

The Race's Story

The Mount Washington Hillclimb Auto Race happened on and off from 1904 until 1961. Then, it took a long break until 1990. That's when Howie Wemyss, who managed the Auto Road, and famous rally drivers Robert Brotherus and John Buffum helped bring the race back to life.

Why the Race Started

When cars were first invented, early car makers wanted to show how amazing their new "horseless carriages" were. They chose the Mount Washington Auto Road to prove that these cars could handle a tough climb.

The very first "Climb to the Clouds" race in 1904 featured many different types of cars. These included brands like Rambler, Mercedes, Oldsmobile, and Stanley Steamer. The cars were grouped by how much they cost. Even though some cars were expected to win, Harry Harkness took the victory in his Mercedes. He zoomed up the 7.4-mile (11.9 km) course in just 24 minutes and 37 seconds! This was super fast compared to the first car that climbed the road in 1899, which took over two hours.

The Challenging Course

The race starts at an altitude of 1,604 feet (489 meters) at Glen House. It climbs all the way to 6,288 feet (1,908 meters) at the summit. This means the road is very steep, with an average slope of 11.8%!

Record-Breaking Drivers

Many famous drivers have raced up Mount Washington and set new records.

• In 1928, Erwin "Cannonball" Baker won in a Franklin car with a time of 14 minutes, 49.6 seconds. He won again in 1932.
• Carroll Shelby set a record in 1956, driving a special Ferrari. His time was 10 minutes, 21.8 seconds.
• In 1961, Bill Rutan drove a Porsche-powered Volkswagen and set a record of 9 minutes, 13.0 seconds. This record stood for a long time!
• When the race returned in 1990, Tim O'Neil broke that record with a time of 7 minutes, 45 seconds in a VW Golf rally car.

The current record is incredibly fast! It was set in 2021 by Travis Pastrana in a Subaru WRX STI. He finished the course in an amazing 5 minutes, 28.67 seconds. This broke his own previous record from 2017. Before him, David Higgins held the record in 2014 with a time of 6 minutes, 9.09 seconds.

The fastest speed ever recorded on the course was 130 mph (209 km/h) by Travis Pastrana. Before that, Jerry Driscoll reached 114.6 mph (184.4 km/h) in 2011.

Modern Races

In 2004, the event was restarted as a historic race, focusing on older, classic cars. The last full race before the 2011 return was in 2001. That year, Paul Choiniere won with a time of 4 minutes, 59.73 seconds in his powerful Hyundai Tiburon.

The 2014 "Climb to the Clouds" was special because it included the first electric race car! The EVSR, an electric car from Entropy Racing, was driven by Tim O'Neil. He finished in 7 minutes, 28 seconds, setting the fastest electric car record.

Race Winners and Records

Here's a look at some of the winners and the fastest times set over the years:

Key: R = Course record

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• Mount Washington Road Race
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