CHARLOTTE, N.C. (July 19, 2016) – Entries are now open, and 26 of the 144 spots for the inaugural Mike’s Peak Hill Climb Challenge have already been filled. The event takes place October 13-16, at the legendary Mike’s Sky Rancho in Baja California, Mexico.
The Off-road powerhouse team of RPM Off-Road of Bristol, Tenn., has entered five-vehicles to tackle the 31 km route, climbing the 4,000 foot ascent to the top of “Mike’s Peak” through multiple cattle guards and water crossings.
Headlining the entrants for the RPM team will be the 2015 SCORE Champion and the 2015 Baja 500 winner Apdaly Lopez of Tecate, Baja California. Proving he is ultra quick in the desert, Lopez will take the No. 1 unlimited truck up the hill in the quest to be the fastest. In addition to the SCORE championship, Apdaly Lopez is also the 2014 X-Games Gold medalist in the Stadium SUPER Trucks.
Joining Lopez will be the 2016 Parker 425 winner Justin Matney of Bristol, Tenn. and 2015 Baja Sur Winner Lalo Laguna of Mexicali, Baja California both fielding unlimited trucks.
“To have this caliber of drivers RPM is bringing to Mike’s, just shows the significance of this first-time event,” said SST series founder, Robby Gordon. “As more and more premiere drivers and teams enter, Mike’s Peaksurely will be the event everyone from the short course, desert, rally, UTV, quads and motorcycles will want to be apart of.”
Also joining the RPM team will be veteran off-road competitor Juan Carlos Lopez of Tecate, Baja California with an unlimited entry, and long-time off-road racing supporter Clyde Stacy in a 1450 truck.
With only 144 entrants available to be part of history, registration continues to fill up. Will you be the first to Mike’s?
More information including registration, camping, and rules for the October 2016 event. Please visit http://www.mikepeakrace.com
REGISTRATION
Online registration, by class, for Pro and Sportsman cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads, is ongoing through the official Mike’s Peak Hill Climb Challenge website. Drivers and co-drivers are also able to download the registration form and email or mail your entry form in if you prefer that method of entering.
For more info, visit http://www.mikespeakrace.com.
Entries will be accepted until 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 1. Late entries after that date and all on-site late entries will be accessed a $200.00 USD late fee added to the original cost.
In addition to drivers and co-drivers filling out the Mike’s Peak Hill Climb Challenge registration and submitting payment, all competitors must apply for a United States Auto Club (USAC) SST Mike’s Peak Hill Climb Challenge single event license and provide proof of receipt.
RACE COURSE
When finished, the 31 km race course will be another memorable example of all that Mexico’s Baja California has to offer, including natural rollers, water crossings, high-speed dirt trails, sandy, rocky and silty natural terrain, and cattle guards, all while climbing to the top of Mike’s Sky Rancho at over 4,000 feet. The course will be another jewel reflecting the natural beauty Baja California represents.
RACE WEEK
Race week festivities will start Wednesday October 12 with the daylong, pre-race Manufacturer’s Midway and contingency/tech festival in front of the Riviera del Pacifico Culterural Center in Ensenada.
Wednesday night all racers will move out 52 miles east of Ensenada on Hwy 3 in close proximity towards San Felipe Valley and Trinidad where numerous 30’ x 70’ camp spots will await competitors arrival for set up.
Shortly after sunrise Thursday morning October 13, competitors will all have their first opportunity to tackle the course up the challenging hill to Mike’s Sky Rancho. Competitors will have one opportunity to make a practice run.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday based on class size competitors will be scheduled to make timed race passes up the hill to be scored towards whom is the fastest to Mike’s Peak.
AT THE RIVIERA…
The Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center, in the heart of Ensenada, will be the site of many of the activities surrounding the Mike’s Peak Hill Climb Challenge. Racer registration, Media registration and mandatory pre-race meeting will all be held at the Riviera on Wednesday, October 12.
Please send additional questions on racer registration, rules, and sponsorship to MikesPeak@stadiumsupertrucks.com
ABOUT MIKE’S PEAK HILL CLIMB CHALLENGE
On-site camping, close proximity to Ensenada (90 miles East on Hwy 3), San Felipe Valley, and Trinidad, and multiple road access to viewing points, mean the race to Mike’s Peak will instantly become a fan and driver favorite. Add to that a Mexican Fiesta under the stars of Baja California each night for all drivers and guests. Rooms and camping at the Ranch will be open to all competitors on a first come, first served basis.
ABOUT MIKE’S SKY RANCHO
Mike Leon, an American citizen whose family came from Jalisco, Mexico, had owned a couple of bars in Tijuana, but by the mid-1960s he’d had enough of the demanding grind and began looking for a more pastoral setting. In 1967, he bought several thousand acres under the dark skies and twinkling stars of Baja California’s highest mountains and opened Mike’s Sky Rancho, a guest resort in the high foothills of the San Pedro Mártir. Sitting on a knoll above the San Rafael creek in a picturesque and wooded valley, it’s a steep, brush-covered mountains rise in the background to the pine-covered 7,100-foot summit of Cerro San Matìas, visible off to the east. The crystal-clear San Rafael stream winds through the valley floor and must be forded to reach the ranch.
