CHRIS BECKER TO CHALLENGE PPIHC IN GT4 PIKES PEAK TROPHY BY YOKOHAMA DIVISION
Colorado Springs, CO – The excitement is building for the 102nd Running of the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, brought to you by Gran Turismo with less than a month until the green flag drops. Fans can look forward to seeing something new on the mountain this year. The GT4 Pikes Peak Trophy by Yokohama division features GT models representing three manufacturers – Porsche, Toyota and Ford. Veteran competitor, Chris Becker, returns for his sixth year on Pikes Peak behind the wheel of a 2024 Ford Mustang (S650).
New Division – New Car
Chris Becker, of Englewood, Colorado, is eager to challenge the mountain in the debut of PPIHC’s newest division. “I’m grateful to Ford for providing me with the Mustang GT4,” shared Becker. “Ford has designed the Mustang to be great on the track, and I believe that will translate to being great on the mountain. With Ian Lacy supporting the car this year, and his knowledge about the GT4, I’m feeling very fortunate and optimistic about this year’s race.”
Just Keep Climbing
Becker worked at building his racing resume from his background in SCCA Autocross and karting to include Colorado Hill Climb Association competition and traveling to race in Kansas, Texas and Florida. In 2019, the invitation to compete on Pikes Peak arrived. He entered the Time Attack 1 division in a 2010 Mazdaspeed 3.
The week kicked off with Technical Inspection and four days of early morning practice runs. Unfortunately for Becker, he didn’t summit on his rookie attempt.
Returning in 2020 in the same division and car, he finished in 11:40.323 for 8th place in the division, proving that perseverance pays off.
Beating the Weather
In 2021, all drivers were faced with adverse weather. The finish line was moved down to 16 Mile where Becker finished 10th in the group.
Becker was a competitor in the milestone 100th Running of the Race to the Clouds in 2022, his fourth year on the mountain in the Time Attack 1 division. “I had been running the Mazdaspeed 3, but it wasn’t ready. I was just so blessed that my fellow competitors helped me find a car that year. But, it wasn’t just a car,” explained Becker, “at that time, it was my dream car to run at Pikes Peak.”
From start to finish the mountain was blanketed in fog. Undeterred, Becker raced his Porsche Cayman to the summit in 12:45.378.
In 2023, Becker made a switch to the Porsche Pikes Peak Trophy by Yokohama division, driving a 2020 Porsche Cayman Clubsport, and clocking a personal best, 11:10.310.
“It still feels like winning the lottery every time I’m up here practicing and racing with this elite group of drivers,” Becker explained. “When I’m racing, it is truly fun, and gives me chills.”
GET TO KNOW CHRIS BECKER
Fun Facts:
“I like to have three things in my trailer during Race Week, in addition to the essentials to support the car: fresh coffee, Eldorado Springs water, and the best sriracha in the world, Racha Sriracha!”
“Favorite Movie – Ford v Ferrari”
“I’m proud that I get to race Karts with my 13-year-old daughter Lexi, 12-year- old daughter Cia, and 10-year-old son Cam who is one of the youngest kids to race formula cars in the US. He competes in the Lucas Oil Racing School.
Favorite Corner: “I enjoy Engineer’s now. I went off there the first year.”
Most Challenging Corner: “I’m more cautious and challenged at the top. I’m working to learn it better so I can push harder.”
Favorite Track: “I enjoyed racing at Daytona in 2020 in the WRL 24 Hours. That steep banking is out of this world!”
Watch Chris Becker make his Personal Best Run:
Photos by: Larry Chen, Louis Yio, Luis Garcia, Jason Zindroski
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Contact:
Lisa Haight
Communications Manager / Historian
lisa@ppihc.org
(719) 685-4400
www.ppihc.org