FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, May 23, 2023
INDYCAR RISING STAR DAVID MALUKAS TO PACE PPIHC 2023 IN ULTRA RARE ACURA TLX TYPE S PMC EDITION
Colorado Springs, Colorado — The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, brought to you by Gran Turismo welcomes Acura back to the mountain for the ninth consecutive year as they present the TLX Type S PMC Edition to pace the field for the 101st Running of the Race to the Clouds. Acura has tapped popular INDYCAR star, David Malukas, to strap in behind the wheel of this TLX Type S PMC, a sleek hand-built powerhouse.
Malukas is a rising young talent in the world of motorsports, entering his second year with Dale Coyne Racing with HMD in the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. A graduate of the INDY NXT by Firestone, Malukas finished second in the 2021 season championship with a series-record 16 podiums. A first-generation Lithuanian American, and the only son of immigrants who moved to Chicago in 1991, Malukas grew up watching his father race at Road America. He launched his own racing career as a multiple karting champion who was featured on TruTV’s “Kart Life.”
“Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has been an event my family and I have always talked about,” Malukas shared. “My dad and I wanted to go for the longest time and now I’m excited to be part of it driving the new Acura TLX Type S. I’m counting down the days until I’m at the top!”
Acura’s TLX Type S PMC Edition is the ultimate iteration of Acura’s high-performance premium sport sedan. Handcrafted at Acura’s Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC) by the same master technicians who built the 600 horsepower NSX Type S supercar, this PMC Edition is one of just 50 TLX Type S cars finished in a sinister Gotham Gray matte paint.
Every TLX Type S, including the PMC Edition, features a turbocharged V6 engine producing 355-horsepower, Super Handling All-Wheel Drive™ with true torque-vectoring, Brembo® front brakes and double-wishbone front suspension. All Acura vehicles sold in America are made in the U.S., using domestic and globally sourced parts.
“The TLX Type S is the best performing all-wheel drive Acura sedan ever, so it’s perfectly suited to pace the field at the challenging Pikes Peak International Hill Climb,” said Jon Ikeda, Acura Vice President and Brand Officer. “With performance validated on numerous tracks including Pikes Peak, TLX Type S strengthens the fundamentals of Acura Precision Crafted Performance for spirited driving enthusiasts.”
“As we transition to a second century of racing on Pikes Peak, we’re eager to reach out across all racing series to engage with new fans and elevate motorsports in general. Welcoming David Malukas as our 2023 Pace Car driver is a great addition to the program, alongside our loyal partner, Acura, who has provided distinctive Acura pace cars to us for nearly ten years,” stated Melissa Eickhoff, Executive Director for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has a long parallel history with the Indianapolis 500 – the 500 is the oldest race in the United States, and the PPIHC is second. Many drivers who have raced on Pikes Peak have also competed at the Speedway, including Ab Jenkins, Mario Andretti, Parnelli Jones, Rick Mears, Danny Sullivan, Simon Pagenaud, JR Hildebrand and, most famously, the Unser family – Bobby, Al, and Al Unser Jr.
ABOUT THE PIKES PEAK INTERNATIONAL HILL CLIMB
First staged in 1916, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the second oldest race in America. The invitation-only event, often referred to as The Race to the Clouds is held annually on the last Sunday of June on Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain, near Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. The famous 12.42-mile (20 km) course consists of 156 turns, boasts an elevation gain of 4,725 feet (1,440 m), and reaches a finish line at 14,115 feet (4,302 m) above sea level. The PPIHC’s six race divisions feature a wide variety of vehicles – from production-based Time Attack challengers to purpose-built Open Wheel racers and state-of-the-art Unlimited vehicles. The current race record was set in 2018 by Romain Dumas and Volkswagen in the all-electric I.D. R Pikes Peak – 07:57.148.
Contact:
Lisa Haight
Communications Manager / Historian
lisa@ppihc.org
(719) 685-4400
