The Pikes Peak International Hillclimb is the second oldest race in the US, with 2016 being its 100th anniversary running. It is also one of the most formidable challenges in international motorsport, every year attracting legendary drivers and teams from all over the world. Starting at an elevation of 9,390 feet the course winds its way to the summit at a dizzying 14,110 feet where air pressure is some 30% lower than it is at sea level. Countless blind turns, dramatic cliffs and wildly unpredictable weather all add to the tests each driver must face on the way up the Mountain. It is a tremendous challenge for both man and machine.

PPIHC is also perhaps the only major international race where a daring grassroots team on a modest budget can compete head-to-head with top-name factory entries. In most established circuit racing series, rules are designed to create close competition. This is done primarily to help maintain audience interest over the length of the season. The rules therefore all but preclude a dramatically different design from entry. Not so at Pikes Peak - a once-a-year event where in several classes technical innovation can be used to an advantage.

Palatov Motorsport LLC is a four-person company dedicated to creating revolutionary high performance cars from scratch. We defy incredible odds and overcome monumental challenges as part of our daily routine. When we set Pikes Peak as a goal in 2012, we raced to build an ultra lightweight all wheel drive car from the ground up in a mere four months. Overcoming many trials and tribulations on a crowdfunded budget, our efforts were a success resulting in an Unlimited class win with David Donner at the wheel of the Palatov D4PPS. A detailed blog of the effort is online at www.dpcars.net/pikespeak

In 2015, we came back to the Mountain but this time with a street-registered, 50 state emissions legal D2RS with Jonathan Frost making his Pikes Peak debut as the driver. The goal was to take a car that a customer could actually buy and drive on the road, and pit it against some of the world's fastest racing machines. We faced some of the same challenges as the earlier effort, and countless new ones as well. The result was an Open class win and again it did not come easy. The 2015 adventure is documented in a blog at www.palatov.com/pikespeak/2015pp

Our 2016 effort is an evolution of both the 2012 and 2015 endeavors, taking everything we’ve learned and adding many new innovations to the mix. This year we are running two cars. The first is a D1PPS which is based on the 2012 D4PPS car, with a different engine and many other updates. It will be driven by Rodney Tu, a customer who has been racing a Palatov D4 in Taiwan for several years with many wins and an overall track record as a result. The second car is a D2RS with all-new bodywork and aerodynamics, driven by 2015 Open class winner Jonathan Frost.

Our challenge is now double – we have to build, prep and support two cars. Our team is still small but extraordinary in both dedication and ability. We are again relying on our sponsors, both individual and corporate, to help provide the resources necessary to make it to the starting line. The obstacles ahead are many, and anything can happen on race day. We are ready and excited to again face the road to the Peak! We hope you will join us in our latest quest.

By showing your support for our effort with a financial contribution you will become a participant in our race effort. There are several different levels of participation available to both individual and commercial sponsors the details of which are listed below.

The construction of the cars has started and many of the components, including chassis, engines and transmissions, are now in hand. While the existing sponsorship commitment got us going, we still need to raise considerable additional funds to cover the many significant expenses involved in this effort.

Level 1 (Start Line): With a contribution of $10 or more, individuals will receive access to our Blog (not available to general public until after the race).[swpm_payment_button id=1481 button_text="Contribute $10"]

Level 2 (Hansen’s Corner): Individuals contributing $50 or more will get the blog access and a limited edition sponsor T-shirt. [swpm_payment_button id=1507 button_text="Contribute $50"]

Level 3 (Blue Sky): Sponsors contributing $300 or more will get all previous level benefits, have their name listed on our website and will receive an official Palatov team jacket.[swpm_payment_button id=1508 button_text="Contribute $300"]

Level 4 (Ragged Edge): Individuals contributing $1,000 and up will be invited to attend one of our private test sessions at Oregon Raceway Park. In addition to being able to witness the testing and talk with the team sponsors will be given demo rides on the track by Jonathan Frost, our race driver. A Level 4 contribution CAN BE FULLY APPLIED TOWARDS A LATER PURCHASE of a Palatov car.

Level 5 (Devil's Playground): Individual sponsors supporting us with $2,500 or more will be able to test-drive various Palatov cars on tack during one of our private test sessions and receive one-on-one coaching from Jonathan. Their contribution will also be noted by putting their name on the race car and CAN BE FULLY APPLIED TOWARDS A LATER PURCHASE of any Palatov car.

Level 6 (Summit – 'car owner' option): In addition to the track test participation of Level 5, an individual contributing $115K or more will OWN THE RACE CAR after the race! (available for D2RS only). This is a unique chance to add a potential Pikes Peak winner, one you helped create, to your collection – and legally drive it on the street! All for a very modest cost comparable to some used road-going sportscars. Alternatively, the full amount can be applied towards the purchase of another Palatov car, after the race. Please contact us for 'Summit' level sponsorship inquiries. Participants in our Lead Customer Program are eligible to apply the Lead Customer deposit towards 'Summit' sponsorship.

For a Level 4-6 contribution, please contact us.

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Level 1 (Garage): With a contribution of cash, parts or services with a retail value of $500 or more your company's logo will be placed on the race car. Size restrictions apply, with dimensions comparable to a typical bumper sticker. Logo placement will be determined by Palatov Motorsport at our sole discretion. After the race we will supply high-res photos with sponsor logo visible for unlimited promotional use*.

Level 2 (Engineer's Corner): Commercial sponsors contributing over $1,000 in cash, parts or services will have the opportunity for larger logo and choice of placement. Logos will be placed within view of at least one onboard camera. In addition to high-res photos, after the race we will supply HD video of the car with sponsor logos visible, both for unlimited promotional use*.

Level 3 (Glen Cove – team associate option): Get involved with the team! A $2,500 cash contribution will qualify a commercial sponsor for Team Associate status. A sponsor representative will be able to join us at one of our testing sessions, receive track rides in the race car with Jonathan Frost, and will be able to test drive one or more Palatov cars on track with one-on-one coaching from Jonathan. Additional representatives and guests can be added at $2,500 per person, 10 people maximum. Scheduling is at sponsor's preference with specific dates subject to track availability.

Level 4 (Boulder Park – team partner option): Join us at the track! With a $25,000 cash contribution a commercial sponsor will become our Team Partner. Sponsor staff and guests (up to 10 people total) will join us for a full day at Oregon Raceway Park. Starting at our facility in Portland, we will travel to the track where the day's activities will include instruction, karting in the paddock area and track introduction as a passenger in the race car with Jonathan Frost at the wheel. The highlight of the day for each participant will be several full laps of the course at speed behind the wheel of a Palatov car with one-on-one coaching from Jonathan. Transportation between our facility in Portland and Oregon Raceway Park with catered meals will be provided. Scheduling is at sponsor's preference with specific dates subject to track availability.

Level 5 (Finish Line – car owner option): A commercial sponsor contributing $115K or more will OWN THE RACE CAR after the race (available for D2RS only). As the car's owner the sponsor will have access to observe our test sessions and communicate regularly with the team. Additionally, a Level 5 commercial sponsor will have control over graphics/color scheme and will have their logos prominently featured on the car. After the race the car may be used for displays, promotions, trade shows, and/or continue to be raced to gain further exposure.

Contact us to discuss your participation!

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A skilled and talented driver is essential to a successful race effort. We have been fortunate to work with some of the best and our 2016 effort is no exception.

Jonathan Frost is a talented and experienced driver who has been a key part of our test and development program over the past several years. His input has helped refine the D2 chassis to its current high level of development. In 2015 he drove the D2RS and won first place in the PPIHC Open Class.

Rodney Tu is a skilled racer who has accumulated numerous wins and records campaigning his Palatov D4 in Taiwan.

Testing and development is a crucial part of any racing program. As in our previous efforts, we will continue to leverage our relationship with Oregon Raceway Park, a challenging 2.5 mile road course located in eastern Oregon. Having the data from the 2012 and 2015 runs and same-car, same-driver testing, we are now able to accurately evaluate the potential performance of the car and driver well before arriving on the Mountain.

The final phases of the test and development program will be conducted at the actual Pikes Peak course.

To supplement the physical testing, Palatov Motorsport is already using advanced computer simulation tools similar to those used by top competitors in series such as F1. They include SolidWorks Flow Simulation CFD for aerodynamics development and Driver-In-The-Loop simulation for kinematics, driver optimization and overall race strategy analysis. The virtual analysis is backed up by full data acquisition including GPS, force and operational parameter logging.

Anna & Mark Bridavsky
Kevin Douglass
David Barker
Reid Sargent
Gary Bohn

Christopher Bender
Robert Kulason

Pete Stoppani

ETAS
www.etas.com

CMS Lap Timer
www.cmslaptimer.com

Hoosier
www.hoosiertire.com

SolidWorks
www.solidworks.com

Lewis Fabrication
www.lewisfab.com

Willamette Pattern Works
www.willamettepattern.com

Oregon Raceway Park
www.oregonraceway.com

JBA Performance Exhaust Systems
www.jbaheaders.com

Arcflash
www.arcflashllc.com

K&N Engineering
www.knfilters.com

The Driveshaft Shop
www.driveshaftshop.com

Injector Dynamics
www.injectordynamics.com

Corsa Research & Development
www.corsard.com

Setiri
www.setiri.com