Traditional Hot Rods Tackle Speed & Elevation at 2018 Hot Rod Hill Climb

Many a hot rodder would rather be no other place on a late summer weekend than in the majestic mountains outside Denver for the annual Hot Rod Hill Climb (HRHC). Now in the sixth year since its rebirth, the show has become a mandatory stop for traditional rodders and jalopy junkies alike who are looking for a weekend of fun and action in the greater Rocky Mountain region.

The HRHC brings in rods and their fans from all across the U.S. and even some countries abroad. This year, participants represented 36 states, with many attendees actually driving their period-correct rides from distant destinations. Hot rods showed up in every form imaginable, from Model Ts to 1950s sedans, just to have the chance to run against one of Colorado’s nastiest inclines.

Mike “Nick” Nicholas has been the mastermind behind the revamped show since 2013. Now with partner Troy Hastings of Roosters Rodz, Nicholas has put together a gathering for the ages. Held in picturesque and historic Central City, the show’s auto-philic aura is multiplied by the village’s antique feel, and also the breathtaking beauty of the surroundings. Add in the Hill Climb course, which rises over 900 feet in just a mile, and, well, you’ve got one tall and picturesque challenge ahead of you.

The festivities started Friday with a 58-mile Reliability Run through the mountains outside town. The weather cooperated with blue skies on Friday and throughout the weekend. The run started at the Wooly Mammoth lot just off Interstate 70, where drivers were greeted by the crew at Precision Designs. Once they got their maps from Precision, they were off and running. Drivers hit stops along the way during the twisty run, which were manned by several car clubs from the area, including the Deton8tors, and the Deluxe Speed Shop from nearby Commerce City.

On Saturday morning throngs of spectators poured into Central City to witness the Hill Climb. Mike Nicholas’ son Foster ripped through a killer rendition of the National Anthem, and the festivities were officially underway. Cal Kennedy’s T-33 Chevy roadster made the first run up the hill, starting a reverse-avalanche of hot rods running up the course, which continued almost nonstop for the next seven hours. Lovely barefoot flag girl Amy Nicholas didn’t miss a beat or step, flagging at the starting line for the entire day.

Some top-notch rides joined the fun. Mike Panos from Lawrence, Kansas, brought his killer “Craigslist find” ’31 roadster that had sat dormant for more than four decades. Brian Bass from Bass Kustoms came in from Texas in a brilliant ’32 roadster. The Elmer crew out of Salt Lake brought a helping of healthy hot rods. And, of course, no Hill Climb would be complete without 90-year-old Cal Kennedy joining in the fun with his Chevy T-33 roadster, complete with its Wayne 12-port Chevy six-banger.

The weekend just couldn’t have been better, and it sets the table for a return appearance next year in Central City. If you have never been to the HRHC we think it’s about time you pay a visit. While you’re at it, check out its sister show, the Hot Rod Dirt Drags, held every June in beautiful Monte Vista, Colorado. Learn more at hotrodhillclimb.com and hotroddirtdrags.com.

Flag Start
Flag girl supreme Amy Nicholas gets some height as she summons Mike Panos and his killer ’31 roadster to hit the pavement at the 2018 Hot Rod Hill Climb.

Scene Stealer
The Hot Rod Hill Climb has found a new home in Central City, after a short but sweet stint in nearby Georgetown. The old mining town has welcomed the event with open arms, and the spectators have responded, flocking to Central City in droves on event weekend.

Reliable Runners
Doug Drake from Reno, Nevada, leads the way from Echo Lake in his salt-lake–inspired ’32 three-window coupe. The chopped, all-steel car is powered by a 1950s OHV Cadillac motor and has a quick-change rear. A healthy set of louvers and an aluminum-riveted interior add to the go-fast theme.

Sedans Delivered
At any given time, downtown Central City had a great cross-section of hot rides parked on the street. This selection of rides is waiting for a chance at the hill on Saturday morning.

Perfect Pickup
It was hard to get a shot of this stunning ’28 roadster pickup because it was always surrounded by admirers. Brett Plue of Denver owns this black beauty.

Cragar Conversion
The Plue pickup is stuffed with a stout B-block that features a Dan Price–built Cragar four-port head conversion. A ’39 transmission feeds a Columbia two-speed rearend.

Host With the Most
Hill Climb organizer Mike Nicholas takes a few minutes to address the drivers before the race. Due to the speed and elevation, safety is preached with a heavy hand, knowing that issues could arise if rules are not followed. Like each climb before it, this one went off without a hitch.

Jersey Boys
Hailing from Point Pleasant, New Jersey, Jim Bobowski takes off from the ramp in his ’32 roadster. “I’m pretty much a purist, and I love the historical aspect of the hobby,” he says. His original lakes-built racer is equipped with a 59A flathead topped with Cyclone heads and a Thickstun 2×2 intake. The hot engine is thumped by an Isky 400 Jr. cam.

Cal Can
It wouldn’t be the Hot Rod Hill Climb without 90-year-old hot rod legend Cal Kennedy taking a stab at the course. He is seen here piloting his favorite ride, the T-33 Chevy roadster, powered by the same Wayne-headed straight-six that he ran in the 1953 and 1954 Hill Climb events.

Feeding the Frenzy
The starting line had a constant stream of hot rods ready to make a pass. The crew did a great job keeping things moving, as some Hill Climb drivers made nine passes up the mountain.

Don’t Look Back
John Barnes from Orange, California, crests the top of the first rise in his ’32 three-window coupe. It features a S.Co.T.-blown flatty for ample motorvation to help it beat the hefty incline. This was Barnes’ first appearance at the Hot Rod Hill Climb.

Roadster Ramble
Speeding into Turn 2 is Heath Pinter’s ’29 Ford roadster. The low-slung Model A hails from Buellton, California, and is pushed by a strong Ford flatty.

Climbing High Again
Coming hot into Turn 2 is Destin Pewitt out of Alto, Michigan, in his Alto Special ’29 Ford roadster. The hot rod is built on an original ’32 chassis and powered by a 276ci Mercury flathead, built with a Thickstun intake and Harrell heads.

In With the Olds
One of the standout drivers of the weekend was 78-years-young Greg White from Spencer, Iowa. He is a lifelong hot rodder, souping up cars and building racers since he was a kid. This ’30 Ford roadster is propelled by a healthy ’52 303ci Olds complete with 1950s speed parts. His parts list is long, but on it are a W&H Ducoil dizzy, Mallory Magspark coil, cloth wiring, an Isky cam, and Hildebrandt valve covers. The body is an all steel ’30 built on a ’32 frame and lit by a pair of E&J headlights.

Something New in Blue
This neat hot rod is an amalgamation of old and newer parts. Robert Danielson of Brush, Colorado, built this sleek ride starting with a ’26 Tudor cowl and B pillars and then hand-fabricated the custom shape. Pete and Jakes wishbones and ladder bars are installed, along with vintage Budd artillery wheels and Firestone rubber. Motorvation is supplied by a Ford 302 backed by a TCI C4 transmission.

Rub a Tub
Randy Gribble of Lake City Rod and Custom in Watertown, South Dakota, cuts Turn 2 tight in his ’28 Ford phaeton. Keith Tardel of RexRods built the Offenhauser-equipped 276ci flathead, which is backed by a ’39 trans and ’40 rear.

No Trailer
Young gun Erik Hansen drove this bitchin’ ’31 Ford with its 4-71-blown flathead all the way from Valley, Nebraska. He says, “No trailer, no support vehicle. I eat, drink, and sleep traditional hot rods.”

Blown in the Wind
The 276ci flathead in Erik Hansen’s coupe was built by the owner, complete with 9.5:1 Sharp heads, an Isky Jr. cam, and Arias forged pistons. The nasty rod is backed by a T5 trans, which feeds a Ford 9-inch rear.

Black Heap of the Family
One of the surprise hot rods of the weekend was the banger sedan driven by Brian Wilson of Elk River, Minnesota. The Heap is built around a stroker 226ci engine, done up with a Winfield Redhead, dual 81s, and a Mallory tach drive. This burly sedan ripped up the Hill Climb course, showing it really wasn’t much of a heap after all.

Daily Driver
No one looked like they were having more fun than Carolyn Sheer of Mesa, Arizona. After attending the 2017 HRHC and Hot Rod Dirt Drags events with her husband Russ, she decided she needed her own hot rod. Her ’31 coupe was built with a Chevy 350 and backed by a TH350 trans. “It ain’t no street rod—it’s my daily driver,” Carolyn insists.

Bass Pro
Hot rod builder Brian Bass of Bass Kustoms in Dallas showed up with a beautiful roadster to take on the course. It’s a ’32 roadster built with a S.Co.T.-blown 245ci Merc flatty. The car has been a hot rod since 1947, and Bass obtained the body back in 2014 to which he built a chassis based on an original ’32 frame.

Want-Ad Wonder
Mike Panos proved that there are still plenty of great cars to discover out there, even in popular classified pages. He just happened to be looking on Craigslist when this beauty came up for sale, and he quickly nabbed it. Built in Salina, Kansas, in the late 1950s the ’31 roadster sports an Olds 303ci engine topped with a trio of Strombergs. The engine is backed by a ’39 transmission, and the car rides on a full, custom- built tube chassis!

Bowtie Blur
Nobody was faster on the course this year than HRHC stalwart Dave Overholt, the master lashing the curves with his trusty Chevy roadster. The primer gray rod is motivated by a built-to-the-hilt Chevy 292ci straight-six. Riding shotgun and holding on for dear life is his brother Jay.

Top Cat
Waiting his turn to run is 74-year-old Jim Bringhurst of Nevada City, California. “I’ve been into hot rods since I could walk and grew up a mile from Pomona dragstrip,” he says. His ride is a beauty, built with a S.Co.T.-supercharged Ferguson aluminum Ardun flathead. A Richmond four-speed rows through the gears. Out back a Halibrand quick-change 101 gets the power to the rear meats. Magnesium smoothie sprint car wheels finish off the look.

Hitchin’ a Ride
Amy Nicholas decides she is going to take matters into her own hands to make sure Dean Burling gets set in the correct spot at the starting line. Burling hails from Lincoln, Nebraska, and brought a gnarly ’40 Ford coupe to run the course. It’s powered by a flathead built with a Scat crank and rods, and topped with three 97 Strombergs.

Family Guy
Pachi Bengochea of Winnemucca, Nevada, made it out to the Reliability Run a few years back, but this was the first year he got a chance to take his ’29 roadster up the Hill Climb course. The busy family man built his hot rod to log long miles, sporting a Chevy small-block backed by a Tremec transmission and quick-change rear.

Heart and Soul
Back on the main thoroughfare, hot rods continued to draw attention. Doug Siemen of West Liberty, Iowa, fabricated this beautiful roadster, based on a ’25 Model T design. It drew a crowd all day long and was well deserving of the attention. The car will be auctioned off in the spring for the Helping Hannah’s Heart Foundation.

Long Distance Deuce
Plenty of awards were given out at the end of the Hill Climb challenge. Here Cory Taulbert receives the Long Haul award from the Throttlers Hot Rod Club out of Salt Lake City. Taulbert drove his Deuce hot rod from Clarkston, Michigan, to the event. But that was only a stop on his way to California. Great job!

































































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