Watch as Jeff Zwart Protects Porsche’s History and The Pikes Peak Hill Climb

Porsche and Pikes Peak have both left indelible marks on the soul of the one and only Jeff Zwart. Jeff first ran up to the summit of the mountain when Porsches were still aircooled and the road was still primarily dirt. He’s seen and experienced the transition of both motorsport megaliths, he raced 996s when Porsche transitioned to watercooled, and he raced on slicks when the mountain became fully paved. He’s not one to cling to the past, but he’s definitely willing to tell the story, to protect that history, if anyone asks him for a comment. Though I’d be careful to call him aged, it’s easy to refer to the man as wise, and a fount of knowledge. If there’s a Porsche question, likely he has the answer.

In this new video from Mobil 1’s “Protecting History” series, Zwart talks about his past, Porsche’s past, and the past of the famed hillclimb. More importantly, though, he talks about how the three are interwoven. From the beginning, Porsche has shaped Mr. Zwart’s life, as his father had a 911 with a ‘can of dried peas’ exhaust note. The Porsche brand has become an important part of his life, career, and livelihood. Likewise, Zwart has become an important part of Porsche’s history, as a racer, a brand ambassador, and he’s created some of their more memorable advertisements. He’s even produced two gorgeous photography books about the brand’s motorsport history.

Because Jeff lives in Colorado, Pikes Peak has always held a certain mystique to him. He’s raced there since the early 1990s, and he’s won his class a number of times, always at the wheel of 911s. Ten different Porsches, in point of fact, racing to 8 class wins in just 14 short years. Not only has Jeff made his mark on Pikes Peak, but he’s forever etched in the record books.