FRENCH RACING STAR ROMAIN DUMAS WILL BE BACK ON PIKES PEAK AGAIN THIS YEAR AND HE'S GOT HIS EYES ON A NEW RECORD

Company press release.

Colorado Springs, May 14----------The two fastest auto drivers in the history of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will square off directly against each other in the prestigious Unlimited Division during the 91st edition of the Race To The Clouds on June 30.

Last year, French racing star Romain Dumas shocked the crowd of over 6,000 on the hill when he turned in a blistering 9:46.181 in the Pikes Peak Open Division in a Porsche 911 GT3R on the way to Rookie of the Year honors during the first edition of the race on a fully-paved course. That shattered the old mark of 9:51.278 set by the legendary Nobuhiro 'Monster' Tajima in 2011, the first driver ever to break the ten-minute mark.

But within a matter of moments, as time almost stood still for many of the race's legions of fans around the world, decorated Pikes Peak veteran Rhys Millen roared off the start line in the Time Attack Division and reached the 14,110-foot summit in his 2003 Hyundai Genesis Coupe in a breathtaking 9:46.164, a mere .017 seconds better than Dumas and the new all-time record on America's Mountain.

Dumas announced today that he will be back again with fire in his eyes and a goal of the prize in the Unlimited Division, this time behind the wheel of a Norma prototype, where he will meet both Millen, driving an all-new, ultra-lightweight, purpose-built racecar using major power train components from Hyundai's production-based Lambda engine family with 900 horsepower, and nine-time WRC World Rally Championship winner Sebastien Loeb of France, driving a Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak.

The 13-entry Unlimited Division also includes the likes of three-time Pikes Peak Open champion Dave Carapetyan (Austin, TX), Jean-Philippe Dayraut of France (3rd in Unlimited in 2011), Cody Loveland (Traverse City, MI), second last year, Denver's Spencer Steele, the 2012 Open Wheel Division winner and three-time champion in that division, and Doug Siddens (Cedar Park, TX), last year's winner in the Exhibition Powersport Division.

Nine-time Unlimited champion Tajima will stick again in the Electric Auto Division after his entry in that field was cut short by an onboard fire last year,

Dumas won the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans, and Loeb was second in the famous endurance race in 2006 and was named French Sportsman of the Year in 2007 and 2009, making both drivers famous around the world.

'After several long weeks of work, I'm happy to be able to announce my return to Pikes Peak,' says Dumas. 'I always said that my participation in 2012 would not be my last. That's the case today, with an interesting project and a different philosophy from other competitors. After coming so close to the ultimate dream, I was focused on coming back. I have to stay humble toward that impressive mountain, but I want to win overall. I know the challenge is perhaps even more difficult than last year. I was discovering Pikes Peak for the first time and I had no other goal but to gain experience and have fun. This year, my ambitions are bigger and the field of racers is at an extraordinary level.'

---

Trending News

• MotoAmerica And Road America Ink A Multi-Year Partnership Extension
• 1938 Talbot-Lago T150 C Lago Spéciale Teardrop Coupé Headlines a Roster of Early Consignments for the 2024 Broad Arrow Monterey Auction
• Renault Group and Geely announce the creation of leading Powertrain Technology Company, 'HORSE Powertrain Limited'
• SEAT S.A. achieves best sustainability results in its history and reduces the environmental impact of its facilities by 53% since 2010
• Chelsea Truck Company styling package for INEOS Grenadier

---

Dumas, who will also race at Daytona, Sebring and the Petit Le Mans in October on his aggressive schedule, looks forward to Pikes Peak in just six weeks with a special attitude and a chance to set a new course record with the Norma, which is a top entry in European hill climb events.

'We are absolutely thrilled that Romain Dumas will be back with us again this year on Pikes Peak,' said PPIHC Chairman of the Board Tom Osborne. 'I know he wants to win and break the record, and we think the Unlimited Division will produce one of the race's most history-making moments.'