{"version":"1.1.0","producer":"fm.getcarcurious","layer":"official","episode":{"title":"How A 1968 Road Runner Hit 12 Minutes Up Pikes Peak","url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/how-a-1968-road-runner-hit-12-minutes-up-pikes-peak","audioUrl":"https://pdcn.co/e/www.buzzsprout.com/246908/episodes/19411744-how-a-1968-road-runner-hit-12-minutes-up-pikes-peak.mp3","description":"A 12-mile road, 156 turns, and stretches with no guardrail is a different kind of “car review” of the human brain. We sit down with Pikes Peak Hill Climb driver Ben Ryan to hear what it’s really like to aim a purpose-built monster at the summit and keep your eyes on the next apex instead of the thousand-foot drop beside you.Ben breaks down his journey from watching the mountain as a kid to finally earning a spot after years of applying, then going back again and again because nothing else compares. We get into the details of Big Bird, an unforgettable build that pairs a 1968 Plymouth Road Runner body with a NASCAR chassis and roughly 800 horsepower to the wheels. Ben explains how he manages focus at altitude, why course familiarity matters when corners blend together, and how tire development data can change everything when you’re pushing hard on a narrow mountain road.After the hill climb, we pivot to the headlines drivers see every week. Jeff’s Motor Minute digs into Ford reliability news, JD Power initial quality rankings, and why “award” stories can look very different next to recall reports. Don also reviews the all-new 2026 Subaru Trailseeker EV, covering design, cabin tech, real-world charging habits, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, range expectations, and where it sits against electric SUV competitors.Subscribe for more real car talk, share this with a friend who loves motorsports or EVs, and leave a review so more listeners can find us. What’s the most extreme drive you’d try, Pikes Peak or an EV road trip?Be sure to subscribe for more In Wheel Time Car Talk! Gulf Coast Auto ShieldPaint protection, tint, and more!The Lupe' Tortilla RestaurantsLupe Tortilla in Katy, TexasDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.----  ----- Want more In Wheel Time car talk any time?     In Wheel Time is now available on Audacy!  Just go to Audacy.com/InWheelTime where ever you are.-----   -----Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast provider for the next episode of In Wheel Time Podcast and check out our live multiplatform broadcast every Saturday, 10a - 12nCT simulcasting on Audacy, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch and InWheelTime.com.In Wheel Time Podcast can be heard on you mobile device from providers such as:Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music Podcast, Spotify, SiriusXM Podcast, iHeartRadio podcast, TuneIn + Alexa, Podcast Addict, Castro, Castbox, YouTube Podcast and more on your mobile device.Follow InWheelTime.com for the latest updates!Twitter: https://twitter.com/InWheelTimeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/inwheeltime/https://www.youtube.com/inwheeltimehttps://www.Facebook.com/InWheelTimeFor more information about In Wheel Time Podcast, email us at info@inwheeltime.com"},"annotations":[{"id":457749,"startTime":232.0,"endTime":240.0,"type":"person","title":"Ben Ryan","url":"/glossary/ben-ryan","quote":"All right, Ben, are you with us? Yes, I am. How you guys doing? Where the hell are you been, Ben?","canonicalId":"person:ben-ryan","priority":0.8,"confidence":1.0,"source":"gemini-3.5-flash","data":{"explanation":"An American hill climb racer and Colorado native who competes in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. 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I didn't I didn't have a thing, but we, you know, I wouldn't be surprised if we weren't clocking 120, 130 in some of the straightaways.","canonicalId":"car:plymouth:roadrunner","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"gemini-3.5-flash","data":{"explanation":"A classic American muscle car built by Plymouth between 1968 and 1980. Designed as a back-to-basics, high-performance package, the 1968 model focused on raw power and affordability, famously licensing the Warner Bros. cartoon character's name and 'beep-beep' horn.","simplifiedExplanation":"A famous, powerful old-school American muscle car from the late 1960s. It was built to be fast and affordable, and it even made the same 'beep-beep' sound as the cartoon Road Runner bird.","imageAttribution":"JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States (CC BY 2.0)","imageLicense":"CC BY 2.0","imageSourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1968_Plymouth_Road_Runner_(4261732288).jpg","sourceStartTime":354.0,"sourceEndTime":366.0}},{"id":457752,"startTime":486.0,"endTime":493.0,"type":"car","title":"Mini Cooper","url":"/cars/mini/cooper","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/1998_Rover_Mini_Cooper_2.jpg","quote":"Yeah, so the first year I ever drove, I did a Mini Cooper, which was front-wheel drive. Um, we went up and took that car up.","canonicalId":"car:mini:cooper","priority":0.4,"confidence":1.0,"source":"gemini-3.5-flash","data":{"explanation":"A compact, front-wheel-drive car originally designed by the British Motor Corporation and later revived by BMW. 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It keeps the driver safe in crashes and helps the car handle high speeds extremely well.","sourceStartTime":514.0,"sourceEndTime":520.0}},{"id":457755,"startTime":521.0,"endTime":532.0,"type":"company","title":"Apex Auto Works","url":"/glossary/apex-auto-works","quote":"Richard and the team at Apex Auto Works did an amazing job um mating those two together um and making a uh, you know, it's a big rocket ship going up that hill.","canonicalId":"company:apex-auto-works","priority":0.6,"confidence":0.9,"source":"gemini-3.5-flash","data":{"explanation":"A custom automotive fabrication and performance shop known for building high-end race cars, restomods, and specialized track vehicles, such as the NASCAR-chassised Plymouth Road Runner driven by Ben Ryan.","simplifiedExplanation":"A specialized car shop that builds and modifies high-performance race cars.","sourceStartTime":521.0,"sourceEndTime":532.0}},{"id":457756,"startTime":547.0,"endTime":555.0,"type":"brand","title":"Kumho Tire","url":"/glossary/kumho-tire","quote":"We we had teamed up with Kumotire this year, and we were working with them on developing a tire, and um that was a lot of fun working with them.","canonicalId":"brand:kumho-tire","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"gemini-3.5-flash","data":{"explanation":"A major South Korean tire manufacturer founded in 1960, producing a wide range of tires for passenger cars, racing, and commercial vehicles. 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I was kind of surprised at this. 37,795 is the entry level.","canonicalId":"car:ford:mustangmache","priority":0.3,"confidence":1.0,"source":"gemini-3.5-flash","data":{"explanation":"An all-electric compact crossover SUV produced by Ford, bearing the iconic Mustang nameplate. 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