The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has seen its fair share of unexplainable events.

Colorado Springs’ own Jimmy Keeney will race the Hill Climb for the 11th year next week. He’s been in the driver’s seat for many of these instances.

“I remember one time one of my wheels went off the edge,” the 27-year-old said. “I thought I’d crash for sure, but the car straightened out. I can’t explain it.”

Keeney, who drives in the open wheel division, is one of 163 drivers who hope luck will be on their side when they race for 11 division titles July 19.

Race director Phil Layton, who’s been in, at or around the Hill Climb for more than 40 years, can attest to Keeney’s claim.

“We believe the mountain has a spirit of its own,” he said. “As dangerous as this is, I’ve only seen a handful of crashes.”

Keeney, a qualifier for the X Games 15 Rally Car Racing event on Aug. 2 in Los Angeles, is hoping some of that magic rubs off on him. He has finished second three times.

“Yeah, it’s frustrating, but we’ve been up there so many times, we think we’ve got the formula down,” said Keeney who graduated from Coronado High School.

As for the phenomenon, Keeney is as baffled as everyone else.

“You’ll be in a part where there’s no spectators or officials,” he said. “And that’s a bad part to crash because no one’s there to help. But we always make it out safe. It’s weird, but we’ll take it.”

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