U.S. OLYMPIAN KAYSHA LOVE TO PILOT OFFICIAL ACURA PACE CAR FOR PIKES PEAK INTERNATIONAL HILL CLIMB
Torrance, California, June 15, 2026 – Two-time U.S. Olympian and Team USA Bobsled pilot Kaysha Love will drive an Acura MDX Type S as the official pace car for the 104th Running of the “Race to the Clouds” – The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, presented by Gran Turismo, on June 21.
Acura and Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US) will be striving to set a new course record in an Acura Integra Type S DE5 race car in the highly competitive Time Attack 1 division with Pikes Peak class-winner, two-time Formula Drift champion and HRC US driver Dai Yoshihara behind the wheel. Acura seeks to break the front-wheel-drive course record of 10:48.094 – set in 2018 by Acura engineer and Pikes Peak veteran Nick Robinson with a 500-horsepower Acura TLX.
FROM THE BOBSLED TRACK TO “AMERICA’S MOUNTAIN”
With a livery inspired by the red, white and blue of Love’s Team USA Bobsled, the Acura MDX Type S will lead the field on the challenging 156-turn, 12.42-mile mountain course. Hunter Powell—a fellow Team USA bobsledder who competed at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 and Love’s fiancé—will ride shotgun.
Love brings an exciting blend of athletic achievement and passion for performance to this year’s race. In 2020, she transitioned from elite gymnastics and collegiate track to bobsled, making her a push athlete for USA Bobsled/Skeleton. In 2023, she became a pilot and went on to win the Monobob world title in 2025. In Milan, Love recorded a fifth-place finish with a total time of 3:49.71 in the Two-woman Bobsled and a seventh-place finish with a time of 3:59.27 in the women’s Monobob.
Love is an Acura athlete ambassador, and as part of the company’s partnership with USA Bobsled/Skeleton (USABS), she has worked closely with engineers at the Honda Automotive Laboratories of Ohio (HALO) to enhance the performance and speed of her bobsled. Together, Acura and USABS share the hope that advanced engineering, testing and analysis will enable the athletes to achieve faster times and secure podium finishes.
Honda is also the Official Automotive Partner of Team USA, supporting both the United States Olympic and Paralympic teams during Milano Cortina 2026 and the upcoming LA28 Games. Looking ahead to 2028, Honda will continue to support the world’s top athletes as a Founding Partner of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and provide a wide range of Honda and Acura mobility products for use throughout the LA28 Games.
ACURA MAKING 16TH PIKES PEAK APPEARANCE
Motorsports is a critical proof point of Acura Precision Crafted Performance, including the premium performance brand’s Pikes Peak efforts. This is the 16th consecutive year Acura is competing at Pikes Peak, with the Acura team amassing an impressive 12 first place in-division finishes, over 30 podiums and multiple course records.
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the second oldest motorsports race in America and a longstanding tradition in Colorado Springs. Since 1916, drivers from all over the world race against the clock on the iconic 12.42-mile course featuring 156 turns, climbing from a starting elevation of 9,390 feet to the 14,115-foot summit of Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain.
HRC PERFORMANCE PARTS
HRC US, the North American racing arm for both Honda and Acura, has created a new business to produce authentic HRC Performance Parts for customer use for street, track and off-road applications. Prototypes from its forthcoming line of performance and capability enhancing parts for on-road and off-road applications were showcased at the 2025 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
Southern California-based HRC US has been winning races and championships on and off-road for three decades and is applying this extensive know-how to a new line of authentic performance parts focused on enhancing all elements of the driving experience—engine, suspension and braking performance—along with significant weight savings. As a successful racing brand for decades, HRC US is uniquely positioned to offer parts to retail customers in North America to enhance the performance of their own Honda and Acura vehicles.
ACURA MDX TYPE S
This year’s Pikes Peak Pace Car, the MDX Type S, is the high-performance variant of the Acura MDX, America’s best-selling 3-row luxury SUV of all-time.
Driven by two-time U.S. Olympian and Team USA Bobsled pilot Kaysha Love, the 2026 MDX Type S features a turbocharged V6 engine, torque-vectoring Super Handling All-Wheel Drive™, height adjustable air suspension, performance-tuned adaptive dampers and massive Brembo front brake calipers.
About Acura
Acura is a leading premium auto brand committed to delivering expressive styling, innovative engineering and engaging dynamics, all built on the brand’s Precision Crafted Performance DNA. The Acura lineup consists of four models: the Integra sport sedan, and the ADX, RDX, and MDX sport-utility vehicles. About 85% of Acura vehicles sold in America in 2025 were made in America, using domestic and globally made parts.
More information about Acura is available at: https://acuranews.com/en-US.
