3/27/2025
PORSCHE ENTHUSIAST JEFF ZWART RETURNS IN 2025 PIKES PEAK HILL CLIMB
Colorado Springs, CO – The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, presented by Gran Turismo, celebrates every driver who reaches the 14,115′ summit of America’s Mountain, and a lot of those drivers owe their success to Jeff Zwart. As a top tier competitor, a renowned film director, a well respected photographer, and a highly sought-after driving coach, Zwart has seen it all on Pikes Peak.
THE BACKSTORY
In 1989, Zwart entered the Pikes Peak Production division for the first time in a Mazda, finishing fourth. He returned in 1994 as part of the Pikes Peak Open division where he drove his 1990 Porsche to a first place division finish. He repeated that pattern from 1996-1998, bringing the famous German marque to the mountain and standing atop the podium.
His only departure from the brand, aside from his rookie year, was in 2004 when he entered the Group O Rally division in a Mitsubishi Evo 8.
Zwart has claimed seven division wins on America’s Mountain, and every one of those has been notched in a Porsche racing machine.
In 2010 he set a Time Attack record in the Porsche GT3 Cup car, (above).
His fastest time, 9:43.921, was clocked in 2020 in the 2019 Porsche 935, one of three sub-10 minute runs Zwart has recorded to date.
LEARNING FROM THE BEST
Having Rod Millen as Zwart’s mentor early in his Pikes Peak career was a real encouragement. Zwart recalled, “Certainly the person I credit most for me racing at Pikes Peak is Rod Millen. Rod built my first rally car which I eventually drove for the my first time on this mountain. He coached me as a friend the first year, and certainly showed me the do’s and don’ts of the Peak.
“In 1994, when I returned for the second time, at Pikes Peak, he helped build that car with Porsche Motorsport. We both had a very big year with Rod winning overall (above) and me having my first win in the Pikes Peak Open division (below). Rod being an actual competitor and having the real time experience to translate that information to me really helped me in my early years at the Peak.”
When asked what sparked his passion for auto racing, Zwart was quick to reply, “My father taking me to the Indy 500 as a kid hooked me on the sport, and it just stayed with me. A love of racing became my passion so I chose photography and filmmaking to allow me to be around the subject I was so passionate about.”
COACH AND MENTOR
Now recognized as a prominent competitor and ambassador for the PPIHC, Zwart not only races, but makes himself available, on and off the mountain as the PPIHC Driver Liaison, to coach and mentor other drivers. From set up, to optimal race line, to racing in rough weather, Zwart has a wealth of knowledge stored up and ready to share.
“I’ve experienced the Hill Climb in so many ways that it’s fun to apply it to the big picture of racing at Pikes Peak. As a spectator and working as a photographer, filmmaker, racer, and coach, the combined perspectives give me a little different approach to the mountain.
“I’ve been coaching for seven years now, first for Porsche Motorsport North America, and most recently for Mobil 1. The single most important concept I coach to is that learning the mountain is a process, which needs to be respected. I believe in the process, and the first part of the process is not to go fast but to keep people out of trouble. Building on that will eventually lead to speed.”
“At this point, I’ve spent so much time on this mountain, I don’t have anything to hide. I just want to share my process.”
Jeff Zwart
BEYOND RACING
Zwart began as a still photographer graduating from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena California in 1979. His early work was for Road & Track Magazine, which led to advertising campaigns for automotive companies including Porsche, BMW, Mercedes Benz, and virtually every other automotive brand. Zwart also channeled his enthusiasm for motorsport as a co-founder of RACER magazine in 1992.
Zwart continues to work as a commercial film director specializing in high action television commercials and films shot all over the world.
Zwart chronicled one of his Pikes Peak experiences, Porsche, the Road to Pikes Peak. He also directed superstar Ken Block’s drifting adventure on Pikes Peak in ClimbKhana.
LOOKING BACK BUT FOCUSED FORWARD
Describing his 2024 attempt, resulting in a crash just beyond the Start Line, Zwart shared, “Pikes Peak 2024 was a difficult year. I signed up to drive a car that ended up very late in its development, so I had virtually no time to drive it before race day. I loved the car, but everything in it was new, and lots of components hadn’t been tested together. On race day, I approached the start cautiously but for some reason the car reacted entirely differently than anything I had experienced before, and left the road right after the starting line ending my race immediately. In all my years of racing at Pikes Peak, it was my first DNF.”
“This year I’m driving the same car,” shared Zwart, “with a lot more testing going into the race. It should be a fun car since it combines the latest in technology from the modern GT3 Cup Cars with an older air cooled chassis from the late mid 1990s.”
Fun Facts:
“The movie, Racing in the Rain, was super fun for me to work on since it was a racing story told through the eyes of a dog, so it kind of took care of two of my favorite things.”
“I first came to Pikes Peak as a photographer for Road & Track Magazine.”
Pikes Peak Heroes: “Michѐle Mouton, Bobby Unser and Rod Millen, all Pikes Peak icons.”
Favorite Award: “My 2018 induction to the Hall of Fame for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb was very special. It felt like a culmination of so many things I have had the honor of being a part of at my favorite mountain – from first visiting as a photographer, to racing all these years, being able to coach, and doing film work with some of the greatest racers around.”
Favorite Track: “Surprisingly I have a lot of laps at the Nürburgring in Germany. I’ve filmed there on many projects and, between the open track days and our own days at the track, it is for sure one of my favorites. One lap at Nürburgring is about the same distance as our run at Pikes Peak, so every lap is a bit of an adventure which makes driving there super challenging.”
Favorite Section: “The section around 11 Mile at Pikes Peak has always been one of my favorites. I think the feeling from the dirt days still carries through in that it is very rally-like, and repeatedly blind, so driving with commitment is super fun. I also think when we were filming Climbkhana with Ken Block it was the first area we shot in because I knew it would set the tone for the whole shoot.”
If you could drive any car, from any era, up Pikes Peak, what would you choose: “Racing a Porsche 908/3 from the late 1960s up Pikes Peak would be pretty spectacular. The 908/3 was developed for the Targa Florio which was a super tight and narrow road race which made this car super nimble. I have had the honor of driving one of these cars. It’s super small and lightweight, and powered by a flat 8 cylinder engine, which would make it perfect for Pikes Peak.”
JEFF ZWART ATTACKS THE MOUNTAIN IN 2023
Photos by: Larry Chen Photo; Larry Chen, Luis Garcia, Louis Yio, Charles Zhou, Jason Zindroski; PPIHC Archives; Nathan Leach-Proffer; Scott Paine
