The 102nd Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race recently took place. Pikes Peak is infamous for its challenging test of both cars and the skill of the drivers inside them. The 156-turn, 12.42-mile mountain road in Colorado Springs, CO, has just under 3,000 feet of elevation change and sets the stage for one of the most brutal races in the country. Although you might expect to see crazy open-wheel cars taking the cake at this event, the fastest time this year was set with a Ford Performance F-150 Lightning SuperTruck.
The madman behind the wheel who took this truck to the top was a French racing driver named Romain Dumas. This was not his first rodeo at Pikes Peak. In fact, his win in the F-150 Lightning this year makes his fifth overall win. This was not your normal win, though. The truck broke down mid-run, causing him to come to a complete stop on the course before continuing.
“We faced a challenge early on, but that only gave me more determination to make up the lost time in the rest of the run,” claimed Dumas. He went on to set a final time of 8:53:553. Not too shabby considering the unplanned break in the middle!
The Little Truck That Could
This was certainly not your ordinary F-150 Lightning, though. In a collaboration with STARD, (Stohl Advanced Research and Development) Ford worked to make the truck a true powerhouse. The SuperTruck was pushing over 1600 horsepower, according to Ford Performance, and equipped some crazy aero. Pirelli P-Zero tires helped ensure it had plenty of grip the whole way up. In qualifying, the truck set a new record of 3:39:939, breaking the previous record held by the Ford Performance SuperVan.
“I’m honored to achieve this victory with Ford Performance at the Pikes Peak International Hill Clim”” stated Dumas. With whatwe’vee been seeing of Ford at this race in recent years,I’mm certain this wont be the last time we see them among the top of the leaderboard.
Photos: Ford Performance
