Gallery: 2016 Hotrod Hill Climb
In 1952, the Denver Sports Car Cub hosted a hill climb up the Leavenworth Mountain in Georgetown, Colorado. It wasn't long before local hot-rodders caught wind of the action and showed up to the event in 1953. It ran one more year, 1954, before the Colorado governor did the smart thing and shut down racing on public roads.
While we bet there were a few rogue races up the hill afterward, it stayed officially banned until Nick's Hot Rod Garage of Englewood, CO, brought the event back to life in 2013. Celebrating some 60 years of Colorado hot-rodding, Mike "Nick" Nicholas managed to revive the event in style.
Since the inaugural event, the Hot Rod Hill Climb has grown too big for little Georgetown and has moved to Central City, CO, in order to better accommodate the growing crowds. Much like the hyper-authentic racing machines that you might find storming beaches at The Race of Gentlemen, the hot rods running the hill look ripped straight out of 1954. While you might see a few stray overhead valve-powered cars in town, the majority sport flathead Ford power -- in both I4 and V8 configurations.
If you missed this year’s Hill Climb, or you were there and want to bask in the memories, check out our massive gallery above. You also might want to let your boss know you’re going to be in Colorado next September. After you see what you missed, you won’t want to miss it again.
The dates for next year’s running haven’t been announced yet, but you can keep an eye on the Hill Climb’s website -– it’ll likely have the date posted well before next year.
