Posted Friday, August 13, 2021 at 9:33pm
The “Climb to the Clouds” has a rich history.
First run in July 1904, the race up Mount Washington took place seven years before the first 500-mile race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and 12 years prior to the inaugural Pikes Peak Hillclimb in Colorado. The Climb was run sporadically from 1904-61, then not again until 1990, when it was run consistently until 2001.
Following a 10-year hiatus, the Mount Washington Hillclimb returned in 2011 in support of the 150th anniversary celebration of the Mt. Washington Auto Road, which first opened on Aug. 8, 1861, and has been hailed as “the oldest man-made attraction in the country.” Since the 2011 event, the Hillclimb has taken place in 2014 and 2017. The current goal is to bring it back every three years, note Sports Car Club of New Hampshire and Auto Road officials.
