Hot Rod Hill Climb Brings Back 1953 and 1954 In The Mountains Of Colorado

Joe Pizzi’s straight-six powered 1939 Plymouth P8 Business Coupe negotiates a turn. Photo by Mike Rogers, Driven Imagery.

In case you haven’t noticed, old-tech hot rodding has moved beyond static shows and cruising. Owners and fans alike want to see vintage mills in full-, or at least ¾- song, hauling equally vintage vehicles down sandy straightaways, leaning left around old horse tracks and gobbling up the mountain twisties. The organizers of exhibitions like The Race of Gentlemen, The Jalopy Showdown, and the Hot Rod Hill Climb are feeding that hunger for period excitement and leaving both drivers and spectators wanting more.

Why The Race of Gentlemen is so important

Participants line the streets of Georgetown, Colorado. Photo by Eat Crow Studio.

The Hot Rod Hill Climb was conceived by promotors Mike “Nick” Nicholas and Amy “Sweetheart” Bourcy as a tribute to the original event in 1953 and 1954 where drag racing hot rodders (the Denver Timing Association, Boulder Timing Association, Strippers Car Club and Cam Winders of Colorado Springs) took on the Denver Sports Car Club that was there in 1952, and as a way to honor local heroes with connections to Colorado’s 1950s hot rod scene.

On the ground at the Jalopy Showdown

Mike Orback is flagged off from the starting line in his flathead V8-powered 1932 Ford five-window coupe. Photo by Brad Tucker, TuckerPix.com.

The first of the new Hot Rod Hill Climbs was held on the 60th anniversary of the original races in 2013 and 2014. Luckily for everyone, Nick and Amy decided to continue organizing the event, and the 2015 Hot Rod Hill Climb was held on August 14 and 15.  So dedicated are Nick and Amy to the success of this undertaking, that Nick proposed (and Amy accepted) marriage at this year’s Hill Climb.

Faces from The Race of Gentlemen

Jason “Bugsy” Wolcott with two riding mechanics in his 1922 Ford T/V8 roadster. Photo by Joshua Maranhas.

Participating vehicles must first apply and then be invited to register. To keep the spirit of the event true to the time period of the original, cars and engines must represent 1953 and ‘54: flathead V-8s, vintage four-bangers, straight sixes and early overheads are the powerplants of choice.

“This really sets the event apart,” says Nick, “these cars just sound and run different.”