How Does A Barn-Built Miata Take On Million-Dollar Teams at Pike's Peak?

A Pikes Peak build is never just a build, it’s a deadline, a weather gamble, and a test of whether your team can stay calm when everything tries to break at once. We catch up with Richard Tomlin from Apex Auto Works in Alvin, Texas, with the clock ticking two weeks out from the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. He walks us through the Apexoset, a Miata-based monster that keeps key Miata geometry and components but drops weight hard and runs a custom LS7-based setup making over 600 horsepower at the wheels. After taking a year off, the car returns with serious aero work, underbody tunnels, plus ABS and traction control, all aimed at cracking the top ten in a class where the rules reward power-to-weight and smart execution.Then there’s Big Bird: a 1968 Plymouth Road Runner already in Colorado with a 2015 NASCAR engine that’s loud, rowdy, and still sorting teething issues like a “puked” transmission and carb problems. We dig into what a dog box transmission is, why downshifts at Pikes Peak are a different kind of risk, and how a small Texas shop competes when other teams show up with one-car budgets in the millions. If you’ve ever wondered what grassroots motorsports looks like when it’s pointed at a mountain, this is the candid version.We also hit quick racing news with a Motor Minute on the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix groundhog collision and what it says about wildlife safety on track. Finally, Don brings an honest 2025 Land Rover Range Rover review, covering design, interior quality, third-row reality, start-stop frustration, real-world mpg, and the six-figure price tag against competitors like the Lexus LX and Escalade. Subscribe for more real car talk, share this with a racing friend, and leave a review, what would you take up Pikes Peak if you had one shot?Be sure to subscribe for more In Wheel Time Car Talk!The Lupe' Tortilla RestaurantsLupe Tortilla in Katy, Texas Gulf Coast Auto ShieldPaint protection, tint, and more!Disclaimer: 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 [email protected]