[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/pikes-peak-hill-climb-2012-sees-jeremy-foley-crash-at-devils-playground\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/pikes-peak-hill-climb-2012-sees-jeremy-foley-crash-at-devils-playground\/","headline":"Pikes Peak Hill Climb 2012 sees Jeremy Foley crash at Devil's Playground","name":"Pikes Peak Hill Climb 2012 sees Jeremy Foley crash at Devil's Playground","description":"Despite tightening the safety rules again this year, Pikes Peak once more saw a couple of heart-stopping car crashes.\u00a0 Jeremy Foley’s crash at Devil’s Playground was nothing short of unbelievable. Often, when driving along a mountain road on holiday, cautiously taking each bend as carefully as possible, I have often peered over the edge and found myself fearing what might happen if I was to get a corner wrong and go over the edge. \u00a0The racers at the Pikes Peak […]","datePublished":"2012-08-14","dateModified":"2012-08-14","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/#Person","name":"Isabelle Lawrence","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/","identifier":30,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/pikes-peak-crash.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/pikes-peak-crash.jpg","height":324,"width":577},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/pikes-peak-hill-climb-2012-sees-jeremy-foley-crash-at-devils-playground\/","about":["Cars","LATEST CAR NEWS","Modified Cars","Sports \/ Performance & Prestige cars","Sports, Performance & Prestige Cars"],"wordCount":779,"keywords":["crash","evo","extreme crash","hill climb","jeremy foley","mitsubishi","paul dallenback","pikes peak","pikes peak hill climb","ppihc"],"articleBody":"Despite tightening the safety rules again this year, Pikes Peak once more saw a couple of heart-stopping car crashes.\u00a0 Jeremy Foley’s crash at Devil’s Playground was nothing short of unbelievable.Often, when driving along a mountain road on holiday, cautiously taking each bend as carefully as possible, I have often peered over the edge and found myself fearing what might happen if I was to get a corner wrong and go over the edge. \u00a0The racers at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb throw such caution to the wind and just drive as fast and hard as they can.Unfortunately, this year, Jeremy Foley and his co-driver Yuri Kouznetsov did get a corner wrong.\u00a0 They got it very wrong indeed and overshot the bend, tumbling over and over whilst shedding virtually every piece of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX as it smashed itself to bits down the rocky mountainside.Fortunately both Foley and Kouznetsov survived and only suffered fairly minor injuries.\u00a0 They were both airlifted to hospital from the race but have both since been released.\u00a0 It is a testament to how well built modern motor sport cars really are and that the PPIHC regulations are sufficient to protect a driver even in such an extreme crash.This isn’t something new for Pikes Peak as in it’s 96 year history it has seen some incredible drivers lose the road from beneath their tyres.\u00a0 The first Pikes Peak Hill Climb was introduced following the completion of the newly widened Pikes Peak Highway in 1916 and was used to promote the road to tourists with a race to the clouds.\u00a0 The summit is just over 14,000 feet above sea level, which, to put it into perspective, is high enough for the US Army to base an altitude training and research centre there.\u00a0 At the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the famous Hill Climb event really does go up a bit of a hill.\u00a0 The Pikes Peak Hill Climb is dangerously understated as a name for a race.\u00a0 The word ‘Hill’ just doesn’t do it justice.\u00a0 In 1820, 14 years after the mountain’s discovery and following in the footsteps of many who had failed before him, a young climber called Edwin James finally struggled to the summit.\u00a0 Who would have thought that just less than a hundred years later people would be racing motor vehicles up the same mountain and referring to it as a hill.The 2012 running of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb saw a large change to the race as it was the first year where the route was covered with tarmac throughout it’s entire length.\u00a0 It is something which had very much divided opinion about the race.\u00a0 While some were happy at the increased grip and that the faster speed would see the current records get smashed, others, such as previous Hill Climb champion Rod Millen think that the paved road will ultimately put an end to the race.It certainly remains one of the most challenging race events in the world.\u00a0 Over it’s 12 mile course, 153 corners take the drivers and cars rapidly up to a place where the low oxygen steals power from the engines and drivers alike.\u00a0 There are few limits on what can be included in the race and you would be as likely to see a motorbike and sidecar competing as you would a 1000hp full-on race car.\u00a0 There are few limits imposed on the crowd either with them lining the roadside trying to get as close as possible to the action.\u00a0 With 170 entries this year taking on the challenge of the incredibly testing route, it is almost inevitable that a few drivers will make an error or that a car will suffer a serious technical issue.Such a technical issue occurred to Paul Dallenback, who was one of the drivers in with a shout of winning overall, when his throttle stuck on.\u00a0 As his car was a 1400hp unlimited-class race car the fault sent him off the circuit and flying into trees at over 130mph.\u00a0 Dallenback wasn’t seriously injured but later tweeted: “Nothing left of the car…. but today was not my day to go.\u00a0 I am very sore.”Despite these crashes the one thing that you can be pretty sure of is that it won’t put these drivers off running in the event again.\u00a0 They will be back next year trying to go faster and faster.Records for the race did fall throughout the day and ultimately the current champion, Rhys Millen, beat last year’s time by completing the course in 9 min 46.164 secs in a 700 hp turbocharged Hyundai Genesis coupe.Photo of Evo crash aftermath:\u00a0 granthughes (specialstage.com\/forums\/)"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest News","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Pikes Peak Hill Climb 2012 sees Jeremy Foley crash at Devil's Playground","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/pikes-peak-hill-climb-2012-sees-jeremy-foley-crash-at-devils-playground\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]