Photo Gallery: Rayteam Racing Takes on the 2026 Climb to the Clouds 

Following the recent coverage of the 2026 Paul Giblin Memorial Climb to the Clouds, additional details have emerged about Rayteam Racing’s experience at the historic Mount Washington hill climb. 

Frank Ocsai, owner and founder of Rayteam Racing, provided additional insight into the team’s weekend, including some changes to the Audi lineup for Sunday’s main event. 

The team’s 1987 Ur-quattro, a Rothmans tribute car originally scheduled to compete in Sunday’s main event, was sidelined by issues with a turbo hose and cooling system. The mechanical problems kept the car out of competition, but not its driver and co-driver. The planned display car, a 1994 Audi S2, was pressed into competition as its replacement. 

Meanwhile, Ocsai took the wheel of Rayteam’s iconic 1986 Audi quattro S1 E2—the “Group B Monster”—in the Open–Vintage category. 

For Jamie Beliveau and co-driver Nick Cook, the Sunday competition presented a different challenge. With little previous experience in the backup 1994 S2, the pair entered the Rally Class main time trial with limited familiarity with the car’s dynamics. More details from the team’s weekend will be featured in an upcoming issue of quattro magazine. 

Conditions on Mount Washington 

The photographs accompanying this article were captured during Friday and Saturday’s half-course runs, when changing weather and challenging road conditions added another layer of difficulty to the event. 

Mount Washington presents a very different challenge from Pikes Peak. According to Ocsai, Pikes Peak’s course is roughly twice as wide, allowing competitors to carry significantly more speed. Mount Washington’s narrower road leaves considerably less room for error. 

“It’s very narrow, no rails. Only rocks and trees to stop you, nothing else,” Ocsai explained. 

Saturday brought the most difficult conditions of the weekend. Poor visibility forced Ocsai to switch the S1 to rain tires and use its fog lamps. Visibility was estimated at only 15 to 20 feet in some sections, becoming even worse toward the summit. 

Those conditions help explain the origins of the Climb to the Clouds name—and why the event remains such a demanding test for both driver and machine. 

Rayteam’s Busy 2026 Schedule 

Rayteam Racing’s 2026 calendar extends well beyond Mount Washington, with a schedule that includes hill climbs, rallies and ice-driving events. 

The team is scheduled to compete in the Mt. Ascutney Hillclimb on September 5 at Mount Ascutney State Park in Windsor, Vermont, followed by the Okemo Hillclimb in Ludlow, Vermont, on October 17. 

Additional coverage of Rayteam Racing, including its upcoming events and competition schedule, will appear in future issues of quattro and on the Audi Club North America website. 

For more from the team, follow Rayteam Racing on social media, as well as photographer Chris of Creation Machine (@chris.creationmachine), for additional event photography and behind-the-scenes coverage.