On this weeks Turn Back the Odometer, we revisit Sun Valley Idaho, circa July 2018. O’Gara has landed in the stunning mountainous village known for its world class skiing, only we’re not there to hit the slopes, we are there to go fast. Real fast. This has been something O’Gara has participated in since its inception, however, due to the effects of Covid-19, the 2020 event had to cancelled. You can still help the local community in Sun Valley by purchasing merchandise from their site HERE.
The annual summertime event takes place outside the beautiful town of Ketchum, where owners travel from around the country to put their cars to the test. The goal of this event is to push your car to the highest top speed possible, and in doing so, raising money for charity. Each participant pays to do the run which is down a section of Highway 75 known as Phantom Hill. Don’t hit your target speed? Pay and go again. 2018 saw a number of cars top the 200MPH mark, and had a couple special guests in attendance as static displays. The Bugatti Chiron and McLaren P1 GTR turned everyones heads as they arrived in town.
The Weekends events started with check in and inspection of each participants cars. High speed runs require that things be in proper working order and things like tires and breaks are paramount. Following the inspection the group goes on a fun group rally. That night is the Ketchum car show where the locals get a chance to get up close and personal with some of the worlds best cars.
Sunrise the next morning we decided to use that time and gorgeous light to get some incredible rolling shots of the Chiron and P1 GTR. Seldom do we see these kinds of cars on the road. When we do, it’s usually on the traffic laden streets of beverly hills where clear skies and open roads are scarce. The lack of traffic gave us the ability to jump into the other lane in our founder, Tom O’Gara’s, 1970’s Range Rover Defender. Our in house photographer was able to capture the multi-million dollar cars in ways rarely seen.
The event was a stunning success and was able to raise a lot of money for local charities. Take a look at the video below for a full recap of the events.
