With simply over two weeks till The Broadmoor Pikes Peak Worldwide Hill Climb, introduced by Gran Turismo storms the mountain, drivers and groups are arriving in Colorado Springs to start early morning testing periods.
The 20-plus rookie rivals registered for the 103rd Working have taken any variety of totally different paths to get right here. Some have spent their lives operating up entrance in different hill climbs or rallies the world over, others have made names for themselves as media personalities, and others nonetheless have intensive expertise within the occasion exterior of the cockpit.
For Alex Kim, although, his rookie look is the distinctive achievement of a lifelong dream. Audi’s well-known Quattro efforts on the mountain impressed younger racers across the globe and now, Kim will marketing campaign an Audi S1 E2 tribute together with Rayteam Autosport, which expands from one Group B tribute machine to 2 for its second marketing campaign.
“I’ve been drawn to Pikes Peak because the Eighties,” Kim explains. “As a youngster rising up in America, I used to be obsessive about Audi and adopted the worldwide rally scene as carefully as I might – magazines, VHS tapes, something I might get my fingers on. Listening to about John Buffum racing Audis up Pikes Peak within the early ’80s felt bigger than life.”
“However the defining period for me was 1985 to 1987. That stretch, with Michèle Mouton, Bobby Unser, and Walter Röhrl profitable within the Audi Sport Quattro S1, simply burned into my reminiscence. From that time on, I adopted the competitors nearly yearly. It is all the time felt like this legendary occasion. Attending to compete now seems like a full-circle second.”
Though he was a long time away from first heading to the mountain, Kim’s profession behind the wheel of Audis would begin in that very same period. He received the Utah highschool drag racing championship in 1986, bracket racing his first automotive, an Audi 4000S. From there, he’d transfer on to autocross and highway racing, together with the Optima Final Avenue Automotive Sequence and NASA. This yr, he has began racing a Lamborghini Tremendous Tropheo EVO2 on observe.
A couple of years in the past, the chance arose for Kim to carry his racing inspirations full circle. He met Alex Zajac, whose Poland-based Group B Storage was able to constructing reproduction automobiles of a few of rallying’s most iconic machines. In lieu of buying certainly one of an actual S1 E2 – which Kim admits is basically “unattainable to get” – he commissioned an S1 E2 tribute out of two donor automobiles.
“(My automotive) is likely one of the finest Audi S1 tribute automobiles within the US,” Kim says. “The scale, livery, and carbon-Kevlar physique panels replicate the 1985/86 Group B race automotive, the sprint can be a detailed tribute to the unique, (however) the entire security tools together with the security cage are present FIA homologation. After all, it is powered by a turbo-charged 5 cylinder Audi engine (on this case a 20V AAN motor as an alternative of the 10V motors of the ’80s). The automotive is road authorized, titled and registered in Utah.”
“I’ve all the time been actually occupied with race automobiles primarily based off of manufacturing automobiles, or manufacturing automobiles which are homologation for race automobiles. Since I acquired into automobiles, whether or not it was any drag racing or watching rally racing, these are like manufacturing automobiles which are race automobiles. Pikes Peak Open type of seems like we have (all the things) from road automobiles to extremely modified automobiles, but it surely actually has quite a lot of them with that road race automotive with a license plate on it type of really feel. I believe it is a actually cool division and I am excited to see all of those automobiles.”
It wasn’t lengthy after Kim’s import was full that he met Frank Ocsai, proprietor of Rayteam Autosport, by means of social media. Ocsai’s staff already had expertise operating at Pikes Peak after making their debut final yr with Laszlo Keskeny, additionally in an Audi Group B tribute automotive – and the problem was too good for Kim to move up.
“As soon as I had imported the Audi S1, I began coming into contact with different Audi lovers all through the nation,” Kim says. “I met Frank and had many discussions about his hill climb staff. He knowledgeable me that he had a possible spot for me for Pikes Peak, so we began the applying course of. Truthfully, all of it occurred so quick; nonetheless, I do not understate the enormity of this chance.”
“Racing within the PPIHC is a lifelong dream I usually thought would possibly by no means occur. Doing it in an Audi Sport Quattro makes it one of many greatest bucket listing moments of my life. It’s surreal, and deeply private.”
Enjoyable truth about Alex Kim: “My spouse and I ran a world UCI skilled girls’s biking staff for 12 years. We raced everywhere in the world with riders from eight totally different international locations which included Olympians and World Champions. We have retired the staff, however sponsor particular person athletes and groups – principally specializing in feminine athletes in biking, skating, and motorsports. We’re additionally co-owners of a film manufacturing agency.”
Should-Haves on the Mountain: “I’ve opted to make use of oxygen since that is allowed – I believe that is simply the sensible factor to do at 14,000ft. I imply, clearly the necessities going by means of the rulebook, the automotive has acquired to be authorized. And we’ll have all of the required tools. However, actually, I believe simply having the Rayteam crew there, plus my crew chief from my highway racing staff, and Brandon Tolley, will all be important to my success for certain.”
Largest challenges: “It’s a pair issues that I have been fascinated about essentially the most. The primary is the altitude, which goes to be actually laborious on the automotive. With the large turbo, if it is attempting to make energy on the prime part, you’ll be able to overspin the turbo and the automotive can overheat due to the skinny air and never getting sufficient cooling by means of the radiator. So, how we will arrange the automotive for the highest part might be going to be one of many greatest challenges.”
“The opposite factor is tire alternative, as a result of you’ll be able to have totally different climates on the backside and the highest. Our practices are tremendous early within the morning, the place the race is later within the day and we cannot have any likelihood to run the entire 12 miles at one time till then.”
Greatest recommendation you’ve got obtained: “I’ve talked with lots of people who’re skilled with it – a very powerful factor is to complete and get the automotive to the highest.”
For the primary time within the 103-year historical past of racing on America’s Mountain, The Broadmoor Pikes Peak Worldwide Hill Climb, introduced by Gran Turismo, will air in its entirety on the RACER Community, and also will be obtainable on the RACER+ streaming app, delivering essentially the most full and immersive PPIHC viewing expertise ever provided to followers.
