They call it the Race to the Clouds for a reason. The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb starts from the Mile 7 marker on the Pikes Peak Highway at an elevation of 9,390 feet. From that point racers snake their way over 12.42 miles of twisting and ever climbing mountain road. When competitors finish the race, they will have navigated 156 turns and travelled to an elevation of 14,115 feet. This makes for some spectacular racing, but it also makes for treacherous conditions, and that’s why PPIHC has never been broadcast live. However, that could all change very soon…
Will You Be Watching the PPIHC Live on Your TV This Year?
You see the time sheets, you see the YouTube videos, sometimes you even catch the taped broadcast of the PPIHC race, but have you ever wondered why you never see it live? First of all, it’s hard to maintain the equipment to do a live broadcast at an elevation over 10,000 feet. Second, weather on the mountain can be unpredictable and severe. Last year, the PPIHC saw sun, rain and snow unfold over the racing weekend and that’s not even the gnarliest conditions racers have seen on this mountain.
These conditions can make it dangerous for cars and motorcycles to race, but they can make it impossible to transmit a signal strong enough to do a live broadcast. So, the PPIHC racing council approached SBI Media—a Swiss Company—to help them come up with a solution.
SBI put its subsidiary Matchsports on the job, and they came out last September to test some new technology. At the end of the two-day test, the PPIHC council was shocked to see what Matchsports had achieved. PPIHC immediately signed Matchsports on for a 10 year deal to broadcast the race.
With new technology comes a new era of innovation in motorsports viewing, and that might give the PPIHC its spotlight to shine in. Will you be watching? What network will show the race? Keep following the attorneys who ride at the Metier Law Firm to find out. You can also find more info by checking in on our Twitter and Facebook pages.