Smart Racing Products Founder Helps Hyundai Conquer Pikes Peak

Recognized the world over as one of the toughest automotive racing events still in existence, the Pikes Peak Hill Climb has been a central scene on the motorsport calendar since 1916. This past year, Smart Racing Products Founder John Slater was proud to join the Hyundai team at the Pikes Peak challenge, and bring our SmartStrings and SmartCamber tools along for the journey.

Snaking up over 156 arduous turns, the race ascends 4,720 ft in 12.4 miles, demanding a faultless performance from both driver and machine. Initially a dirt road, the route was completely paved in 2011 due to environmental concerns, however it became even faster and potentially more dangerous for the competitors.

Many race teams and auto manufacturers put their best vehicles and drivers to the test on Pikes Peak, and Hyundai has used the challenging event as a proving ground for its new technologies since 1992. For 2024 their aim was to put the impressive all-electric 641 hp Hyundai IONIQ 5N through its paces up this treacherous hill climb and break the electric production SUV crossover record.

Taking On Pikes Peak: Initial Preparations

An attempt of this magnitude usually takes up to a year of preparation, but with just four to five months available, Hyundai hired Bryan Herta Autosport (BHA) to assist them with this monumental task, and BHA in turn enlisted Smart Racing Products (SRP) Owner and Founder, John Slater as their crew chief for the event.

Two production IONIQ 5 Ns and two race-modified versions were entered, and in this article we follow the story of how BHA and SRP helped prepped these cars to take on Pikes Peak.

Competing in the production class meant that only minor modifications were allowed, but that just made each one all that important to get absolutely perfect. Being a relatively new class the IONIQ was competing in, there was no pre-determined modification process that would ensure victory. In this first episode, watch as the team talk about the preparation requirements and the challenges of installing a full roll cage in an EV.

The Drivers and EV Challenges

Having a car capable of winning is only half the job, to achieve a potential victory, Hyundai needed the best possible driver lineup as well. The lineup of Hyundai IONIQ 5N drivers included:

• Dani Sordo – Hyundai World Rally driver and Spanish Rally Champion
• Robin Schute – 4-time King Of The Mountain Winner
• Paul Dallenbach – 11-time Pikes Peak winner
• Ron Zaras – Cofounder of Driver’s Era

Clearly, all the stops were pulled out to ensure that Hyundai achieved its goal, and the star-studded lineup consisted of Pikes Peak race winning veterans and rally drivers who knew just what it took to get the job done. Ron Zaras was the only Pikes Peak First-timer, and he was there to document the event and provide an in-depth appreciation of what it takes to take on a challenge of this level.

This included extensive testing and development at the Hyundai America Technical Center in California, where every aspect of the cars’ performance was tested, evaluated, and optimized.

Watch as the drivers explain the rigors of testing and race prep:

Behind The Scenes – The Car Mods

Go behind the scenes as Ron Zaras and Robin Schute explain just what it takes to prepare a car for the Pikes Peak challenge, and in this case, what modifications were made to the two Hyundai IONIQ 5N vehicles to get them ready for the electric production SUV crossover record attempt. Standard Hyundai Ioniq 5N Specifications:

• 601 hp (641 hp with N Grin Boost Mode)
• Dual electric motors
• All-wheel drive with torque vectoring
• 84 kWh battery pack
• 0-60 mph 3.25 seconds

While no bodywork modifications were allowed, the IONIQ 5N comes with an upgraded aero package already, including a flat undercarriage, rear diffuser, cooling vents and a rear wing. Most changes were to improve safety, optimize grip, and keep the brakes and battery pack cool under extreme conditions. The thinner air at the top of the climb doesn’t impact power as it does on an internal combustion vehicle, it does make it harder to keep the brakes and battery pack cool.

Exterior Modifications: 

• Yokohama Advan V107 – road legal high performance tires
• Brake cooling ring on stock brake discs
• Brake caliper heat indicator sticker
• Twin N Active Sound + amplified speakers
• Racing Livery
• Tow straps
• Race radio aerial

Interior Modifications:

• Full race-spec roll cage
• Striped out interior trim
• Carbon Kevlar Recaro race seat with Halo safety system
• Driver restraint system
• Race radio
• Fire suppression system – EV specific
• Safety panel for fire suppression and battery isolation

An interesting EV-specific mod was to add a pair of front bumper-mounted speakers to amplify the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N’s existing N Active sound package. This was done to meet the 120-decibel minimum rule limit up Pikes Peak – providing spectators with an aural warning that a vehicle is on the track. 

The Mountain Bites Back

Pushing a vehicle to its limits on any road is dangerous, doing it up Pikes Peak takes the risk factor to a whole new level. Testing for the first time up the hill, the team suffers a setback as Pikes Peak veteran, Paul Dallenbach goes off the road.

“Racing is dangerous, and as much as you try to reduce the risk, you’re racing on the side of a mountain.”

- John Slater, Crew Chief

Early runs up the hill showed that the cars were performing well, and the times were better than expected. Rookie driver Ron Zaras was putting in some impressive results, and Paul Dallenbach was pushing the IONIQ 5 to its limits, setting amazing times after each run. Then, just as the team were getting a little too comfortable, Paul sent an update over the radio.

“I am off and on my side.”

- Paul Dallenbach 

After an agonizingly long wait, the safety radio asked John to be ready as they needed to talk to him. Thankfully, Paul’s injuries were minimal, and the roll cage and other safety systems on the car worked perfectly, helping prevent a potentially far worse situation from unfolding. Watch the video coverage to see how it all unfolded:

Conquering Pikes Peak. Twice.

The electric production SUV/Crossover record campaign was down to one car, piloted by Ron Zaras who had never professionally raced at Pikes Peak before. When he set the record for his class with a time of 10:49.267, he not only validated the extreme effort the team had gone to prepare the cars for the attempt, but also showed he was no slouch behind the wheel himself. 

The modified electric SUV/Crossover class was hotly contested and the extensive preparation by the team and drivers paid off, with Dani Sordo setting a new record of 09:30.852 up the hill. Winning the 2024 Exhibition Class was a great way to wrap up Hyundai’s Pikes Peak program and showed that they could take on and beat accomplished EV rivals like Tesla and Rivian, too. 

The achievement also spoke volumes about the skill, dedication and professionalism of Bryan Herta Autosport and crew chief John Slater. 

Watch the full lap here:

Smart Racing Products For The Win

Get the benefit of decades of professional racing experience with our Smart Racing Products kit that let you professionally align your vehicle, anywhere, anytime. Experience our SmartCamber and SmartStrings systems for yourself:

• Make Alignment Adjustments Without Having To Recalibrate
• Easy, One-Person Alignment Process
• Ensures Precise, Repeatable Alignment
• Portable For Track And Off-Road Use
• Simple and Durable Design Lasts A Lifetime - Precisely Built In The USA

Get in touch with owner and founder John Slater and his experienced team for your Smart Racing Products equipment today.