Audi Drivers Compete in the 2026 Climb to the Clouds
[by: Trent Whicker]
The 2026 Paul Giblin Memorial Climb to the Clouds was a significant return for competitors taking on the Mt. Washington Hillclimb. The oldest automotive hillclimb race in America, ran August 7–9, 2026 with the competition challenging drivers from the base of the Mt. Washington Auto Road to the 6,288-foot summit. The course is approximately 7.4 miles long, climbs more than 4,600 feet, and averages an 11.8% grade.
This year’s event was officially renamed the Paul Giblin Memorial Climb to the Clouds in honor of Paul Giblin, the long-time event director and who was described by the organizers as the “heart and soul” of the race for many years before his death in 2022. A presentation honoring Giblin was held during race weekend
Below are the best overall time results for the Audi Competitors during the weekend. More details for qualifying, as well as Saturday and Sunday times are posted on the Sports Car Club of New Hampshire (SSCNH) website. As of August 12th, the official times have not been published on the SSCNH website.
| Driver | Car | Class | Car # | Best Time |
| Margaret Sharron / Jen Holden | 2007 Audi RS 4 | R1 | 11 | 7:16.305 |
| James Beliveau / Nick Cook | 1994 Audi S2 | R1 | 320 | 7:24.416 |
| Vesko Aleksov | 1987 Audi 4000 CS | US | 222 | 7:32.598 |
| David Hackl | 1983 Audi Quattro | US | 2 | 7:44.695 |
| Ferenc Ocsai | 1986* Audi S1 | VE | 10 | 9:32.784 |
| Paul Tingaud | 1998 Audi Claw Hammer | U | 237 | No time |
Source: https://timing.sccnh.org/
*Listed incorrectly as a 1985 Audi A1 on the timing results.
Frog Racing
The all-women Frog Racing team conquered Mt. Washington once again this year at the 2026 Climb to the Clouds. Driver Margaret Sharron and co-driver Jen Holden competed in the R1 Rally Class behind the wheel of “Froooog,” their beloved 2007 Audi RS 4. They were supported by an all-female crew consisting of Sara Dolozel, Seraphim Le, Gaia Marien, and Amy Dilks.
Margaret successfully defended her title as Queen of the Mountain while also setting a new all-time Fastest Women Record at Climb to the Clouds, completing the course in an impressive 7:16.305. The result made the Frog Racing team the fastest Audi of the event and added another remarkable chapter to the story of “Froooog” and its determined all-female team.
Margaret’s husband, Emmanuel Cecchet, is a past competitor at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and co-founder of Frog Racing. Together, Margaret and Emmanuel have made mentorship and education a central part of their mission, working to empower the next generation of drivers while sharing their experience with grassroots racers, young women in motorsport, and anyone looking to build a race team or competition car. The dynamic racing couple was also featured in an October 2025 episode of Audi Club’s All-Wheel Driven podcast.
While Margaret’s incredible result deserves plenty of attention, there is a much bigger story behind this team and its journey. The 2026 Climb to the Clouds became an opportunity to shine a light on women in motorsports and the dedication, teamwork, and perseverance required to compete at this level. With support from a GoFundMe campaign, they were able to bring a professional videographer on board to document the journey and produce a documentary capturing the experiences and challenges of these remarkable women.
The stark contrast on the podium of this year’s Hillclimb was quite remarkable. On one side was the Subaru factory team, competing in a million-dollar, purpose-built race car that claimed the overall victory. On the other was Margaret, standing as Queen of the Mountain after setting a new women’s record in “Froooog”, a largely stock B7 Audi RS 4. The two cars—and the approaches behind them—could hardly have been more different. It made for a memorable podium and a fitting visual representation of what makes the Frog Racing story so compelling: factory-level technology on one side, and determination, ingenuity, teamwork, and a beloved Audi on the other.
Rayteam Motorsports
Rayteam Motorsports showed their team colors at the race with owner, Frank Ocsai, taking the wheel of a 1986 Audi S1 E2 (Black and Yellow) and James Beliveau, and co-driver Nick Cook, piloting the 1994 Audi S2.
Rayteam Automotive in Waltham, Massachusetts, is a team of German automotive specialists. It was established in 2009 by Frank Ocsai, a race car driver himself and competitor at this year’s Mt. Washington race. A lifelong automotive enthusiast with a deep passion for Audi and quattro heritage, Frank has built Rayteam around the same principles that drive the motorsports program today—teamwork, craftsmanship, determination, and a genuine love for the cars.
From the technicians and fabricators who prepare the cars to the crew members, family, friends, volunteers, and sponsors who support the program, every person plays a part in getting the cars to the starting line. Much of the preparation, engineering, fabrication, and problem-solving happens right inside the Rayteam Automotive shop.
Behind the wheel of Rayteam Motorsports’ 1986 Audi S1 E2, Frank has taken on some of America’s most legendary hill climbs, including Pikes Peak and, most recently, the 2026 Mt. Washington Climb to the Clouds. This past weekend, Frank and the Rayteam crew brought the unmistakable Audi S1 E2 up the historic Mt. Washington Auto Road—another incredible chapter for a team built from a small independent German repair shop in Massachusetts.
For Frank and the entire Rayteam team, motorsports is about much more than competition. It is about preserving Audi’s legendary quattro heritage, sharing these incredible machines with fellow enthusiasts, and proving what can be accomplished when a passionate group of people works together toward the same goal.
Both teams, and all Audi drivers present at this year’s Climb to the Clouds was a reminder that quattro has never been confined to just one genre of motorsport, or just one race. These six cars are not only a representation for endurance and speed, but the commitment to time-tested performance and the brand’s heritage to motorsport. Each car has its own chapter to Audi legacy and on Mt Washington, there were more stories added to the long, rich history between Audi and American motorsports.
For more coverage on Rayteam, Frog Racing, and the other Audi drivers who participated in the Mt. Washington race, be sure to read the upcoming quattro magazine.
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