We all know that Pikes Peak has history; within that history are thousands of stories, emotions, people, cars, and dirt. Although the race is changing for the better, sometimes it’s fun to take a look back in time, a time when gas was cheap, a roll cage didn’t matter, and big American body-roll beasts, flew up the mountain. This time was 1966.
A wide variety of drivers and vehicles took up the challenge of Pikes Peak. One example was the innovative front-wheel drive Oldsmobile Toronado. The car was not only innovative, but also won its class that year. The Toronado continued to enjoy success at Pikes Peak, piloted by its driver Frank Peterson. This car not only proved that front-wheel drive was reliable, but hinted at what type of vehicles may attack the mountain in the future.
Bobby Unser ended up winning overall in his Chevy powered open wheel car, and set a new course record. He appears in the video at around 22 seconds in. While there is not a huge amount of information out there about the 1966 race, just watching the cars slide through the W’s says so much. America’s greatest auto race is just around the corner, and I know it will be one to remember.
