The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb 2025-more affectionately known as “The Race to the Clouds”-once again delivered heart-pounding drama and world-class racing at elevation. Held annually since 1916 in Colorado, USA, this legendary hill climb event is one of the most iconic challenges in motorsport.
The course itself is no joke: a relentless 12.42-mile (19.99 km) asphalt stretch with 156 twists and turns, climbing an eye-watering 4,720 ft (1,440 m) from the start gate at Mile 7 on Pikes Peak Highway to a summit finish line at 14,115 ft (4,302 m). With an average gradient of 7.2%, it’s a pure test of driver skill, engineering excellence, and mechanical endurance.
Weather Strikes Again
This year’s race, held on June 22, 2025, was once again impacted by extreme mountain weather. Gusts exceeding 130kph (over 80mph) near the summit forced race organizers to shorten the course for safety reasons. The revised finish line was moved down to Glen Cove, cutting the full course nearly in half-marking the fourth weather-shortened event in the past eight years.
Ford’s Wild EV Takes the Hill
In recent years, Ford Performance has made waves at Pikes Peak with a string of headline-grabbing entries-from the outrageous Ford SuperVan to last year’s all-conquering Ford SuperTruck. For 2025, they took things up another notch with the debut of their most radical concept yet: the Super Mustang Mach-E.
This electric hypercar featured a triple e-motor powertrain generating a monstrous 1,400+ bhp, paired with an aggressive new aerodynamic package delivering over 3.1 tonnes of downforce at 150 mph. Piloted by none other than Romain Dumas-five-time Pikes Peak winner and current all-time course record holder—the all-electric Mustang tore up the mountain in 3 minutes 42.24 seconds, earning the top spot in the Open Class.
The Overall Winner: Nova Proto NP01
Despite the jaw-dropping EV performance, it was Italian hill climb specialist Simone Faggioli who claimed overall victory in the purpose-built Nova Proto NP01 Bardahl. Clocking a blazing fast time of 3 minutes 37.19 seconds, Faggioli’s run was pure mastery-highlighting the continued dominance of lightweight, combustion-powered prototypes in the high-altitude battle.
Watch the full onboard footage from the winning run:
PIKES PEAK WINNING Race Day Onboard 2025 – Simone Faggioli, Nova Proto NP01 Bardahl
Why Pikes Peak Still Matters
Whether it’s pushing the limits of electric performance vehicles, evolving aerodynamic engineering, or showcasing the raw skill of world-class drivers, Pikes Peak 2025 proved once again why this race remains a pinnacle of global motorsport innovation. From storm-shortened runs to high-voltage prototypes and classic racing grit, the Race to the Clouds continues to inspire the future of speed-one corner at a time.
