Adverse Effects Of Getting High While Racing

God knows building a race car that will stand up to the challenge and do well in La Carrera Panamericana is without a doubt a huge undertaking. Just one of the many challenges of such a build is dealing with the high altitudes found along the route which range from sea level and go up to 10,000 feet.

It's a well know fact that the high altitude is responsible for a HUGE horsepower loss and there is only so much you can do. When does a vehicle need lots of torque? When climbing up steep hills,” says Mike Shelby, Combustion and Emissions technical specialist for Ford Advanced Powertrain. “Unfortunately, the performance of most car engines decreases as a vehicle climbs to higher altitude.

Now let's put things into perspective when comparing La Carrera Panamericana versus the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb engine preparation consider this... Pikes Peak International Hill Climb "begins" at 9.390 feet then rises to 14,110 feet in only 12.42 miles!!!