It takes courage and perhaps a hint of craziness to challenge the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. During the twelve-or-so minutes it takes most contenders to reach the top of the 14,114-foot mountain, they have to contend with 156 corners of varying shapes and lengths, cambers, potholes, and of course, no guardrails.

For that reason, preparing for the event is absolutely critical. Unfortunately, access to the course before the event is extremely limited, and therefore, virtual training is probably the best means of learning the nuances of the complex course. However, on the real course, under the pressure of competition, and perhaps hindered by the thin air at altitude, a driver always stands a good chance of making an error, and even the most talented drivers are wise to leave a considerable margin for error.

One team learned this the hard way back in 2012. While driving through Mile 12 of the course, quite near the summit, Jeremy Foley and co-pilot Yuri Kouznetsov nearly met their demise. After turning in somewhat early to the corner known as “Devil’s Playground,” they understeered off the precipitous, craggy mountainside to roll 14 times along a 100-foot flight down a 45-degree slope.

However, after tumbling down the hill in a “washing machine of pain,” the two emerged largely untouched. Kouznetsov had suffered a dislocated shoulder while Foley was only shaken and bruised. The two were airlifted to a local Colorado Springs hospital.

Their miraculous escape can be attributed to two things: their Evo VIII’s incredible rollcage and their resilient Recaro seats. Kouznetsov’s Recaro Pole Position seat was ripped from the eighth-inch steel plate welded to the car’s floor, while Foley’s Recaro Pro Racer stayed perfectly upright in the roll down the mountainside. “The seats stayed in place, they didn’t break anywhere, they held together, and both the passenger and the driver stayed in the seats,” remarks builder Kevin Dubois of Evolution Dynamics. For those interested in the car or the style of cage, the entire build can be seen here.

After the pair leave the road at 70 miles per hour, they spend a few seconds in the air—which must have felt like an eternity. Photo credit: Farrocaderr

“Over the years there have been quite some race accidents on race tracks and rally courses with drivers using Recaro seats all over the world,”says Ulrich “Ulli” Andree, Director of Global Communications at Recaro Automotive Seating and winner of the 2012 German Endurance Championship. “And we got outstanding positive feedback about people surviving bad crashes or getting out of their cars without any injuries because of the stability and safety of their Recaro race shells. Yet, the Pikes Peak Crash was really special. Jeremy and Yuri had a guardian angel, but they also definitely had the right seats in their car. We checked the seats in the car after the crash and used the car on trade shows and exhibitions. The seats where quite deformed from the heavy impact, but nothing was broken. That’s the way is has to be.” 

Look for an article from TURNology soon on racing seats and what to look for on your next build.