With 2009 marking the 87th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, it is the second oldest motor race in the United States after the Indianapolis 500. For the past two years the event has included a class for vintage cars—most of which have been stock cars. In 2009 the quickest vintage car of all was Keith Davidson’s 1963 Ford Falcon Sprint, which stopped the clocks at an excellent 13:56.066, while second fastest were Doug Mockett and Angelica Fuentes, the 2008 winners with a time of 14:16.499 in Doug’s 1954 Oldsmobile Super 88. Third in class was taken by Jess Neal, whose 1971 Plymouth Barracuda clocked in at 14:43.402. Thus the first three finishers came from three different decades and represented the three manufacturers who made up Detroit’s fabled Big Three.
by Mike Rogers
