1949 Ford pickup truck wins Pikes Peak record
A 1949 vintage Ford diesel pickup truck covered the 19.99-kilometer track with a 1439-meter vertical drop and 156 corners in 11 minutes 24.065 seconds. The new diesel record holder for the annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb ( PPIHC ) is a redesigned 1949 Ford F1 pickup with a 6.7-liter Cummins engine. The car was a part of Exhibition Devision, which took the 3d place in the race. Driven by pilot Scott Birdsell, the retro pickup climbed to the top of Colorado's Pikes Peak in 11 minutes 24.065 seconds, improving the previous record holder result, the Mercedes-Benz C300D 4Matic, by more than 13 seconds. The record holder's specifications were not disclosed. Under the hood, the 6.7-liter Cummins supercharged engine is rumored to deliver 1,400 hp. It is known that the car was equipped with a modified braking system, sport shock absorbers and super-wide Toyo tires. According to Scott Birdsell, the final stage of the race was especially difficult. Due to the many corners, an