Fastest run, worst crash, coolest car: the Pikes Peak video festival doesn’t disappoint

For its popularity and history, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the only major motorsports event whose coverage is left to the GoPros mounted on its rides and spectators. It's not the fastest or most complete way to see the highlights, but this year's climb created several memorable videos beyond just the crashes. Here's the most noteworthy so far.

First, the entire run of winner Rhys Millen in his turbocharged Hyundai Genesis, setting a new record for the event thanks to the paving of its gravel sections. The view from over his shoulder gives you the best idea of just how fast, how tough and how talented a driver has to be to win this race.

One of the best features of Pikes Peak is that anyone can run anything -- motorcycles, quads, even old hot rods. The cool meter pegged at this year's event with Hayden Groendyke's 1949 Cadillac, powered by a 600-hp Corvette LS2 V-8. It's not the fastest car up the hill -- and I'm not sure I'd want to take a hairpin turn at speed in it -- but nothing looks better.

We've already seen video of Paul Dallenbach's terrifying crash, but being one of the favorites to win, Dallenbach also had a GoPro mounted to the outside of his car, which survived the crash and was somehow recovered from the wreckage. What's stunning about this view is just how fast trouble develops -- Dallenbach wasn't far beyond the starting line when his throttle stuck open.

And this last video shows more than it may seem. While it looks like the pass of a Polaris RZR up the mountain, it's a bit of history. Driver Travis Tollett became the first quadriplegic racer to finish Pikes Peak.