Heads up

Colorado Springs, CO — With a decade and a half racing of experience in an event more than a century old, one might expect evolution to reach a stasis. This is clearly not the case for O'Maley Racing at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. This year's Pikes Peak event marked a turning point for driver Rodney O’Maley and his team in both vehicle development and race performance.

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Never idle, O’Maley and his team continue to improve the Spec VIII. This year's refinements include a modified aero packaging and a completely overhauled cooling system to support added horse power at Pikes Peak’s high altitude.

Another crucial improvement for 2025 was a new Weddle Gen 3 Ratchet Shift upgrade for the Spec VIII's sequential Weddle S5 transaxle. The O’Maley Racing team has shown a competitive advantage in the thin air of the upper sections where frost bumps give vehicles a challenge. Developed for the ruggedness of Baja, the Weddle S5 transaxle is the perfect solution to handle the power of the Spec VIII's 700+ hp twin turbo engine on rough terrain. Regarding the new Gen 3 Shift performance, O'Maley states:

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"The improvements are absolutely fantastic, and I can't get over how much better the Gen 3 shifter works over the old one! It’s like a whole new experience, smoother and more responsive."

— Rodney O'Maley

See the Weddle S5 Transaxle at PRI 2025
Booth 4615, Yellow Hall 
December 11-13 | Indiana Convention Center
Indianapolis, Indiana USA | more info

Results. In qualifying, O'Maley secured 3rd in class and 11th overall with a personal best time of 4:03.516, edging close to the coveted sub four-minute mark. This effort placed them among the top Open Wheel performances in recent years. On race day, the O'Maley Special earned a spot on the Open Wheel Class podium with a 3rd place finish.

Learn more about Weddle S-series Sequetial Transaxles

Forging ahead. For 2026, O’Maley has his sights on breaking the elusive 10-minute barrier on race day.  “2025 was a milestone year for us,” said Rodney O’Maley. “The new cooling system, aero refinements, and especially the upgraded Weddle Gen 3 Shift Mechanism on the S5 gearbox gave us the most complete and reliable package we’ve ever had at Pikes Peak. Now, we’re shifting focus to handling and weight reduction to unlock even more performance for next year.”

We are looking forward to it.

Questions? Call +1 (805) 562-8600 or email us.

Photo courtesy of O'Maley Racing