ROMAIN DUMAS STORMS PIKES PEAK IN FORD F-150 LIGHTNING SUPERTRUCK TO CLAIM FIFTH KING OF THE MOUNTAIN
Colorado Springs, CO – King of the Mountain, a designation honoring the fastest competitor on the mountain. The 102nd Running of the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, brought to you by Gran Turismo, bestowed this year’s top award on Romain Dumas. It was the fifth time he had earned the esteemed King of the Mountain award.
FIVE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Romain Dumas is no stranger to PPIHC’s top award, the King of the Mountain trophy. He collected four of them between 2014 and 2018. Dumas first competed on America’s Mountain in 2012, in the Pikes Peak Open division in a 2012 Porsche GT3R, finishing first in the division. His time of 09:46.181 was second overall to Rhys Millen’s winning time of 09:46.164 in the Time Attack division. Millen claimed King of the Mountain and a course record that year.
In 2013, fellow-Frenchman, Sebastien Loeb, would shatter the course record with a blazing 08:13.878, lowering the mark by 27 seconds.
Dumas earned his first crown in 2014 behind the wheel of his 2013 Norma M20 RD Limited, completing the 12.42 mile course in 09:05.801, not a record, but the best time of 2014.
Returning in 2016 for the 100th Anniversary of the iconic race first staged in 1916, Dumas presented the #30 Norma once again. He clocked his first sub-9-minute run on Pikes Peak, an 08:51.445, to win his second title.
In 2017, Dumas claimed his third King of the Mountain crown, once again in his proven Norma. His time was 09:05.672.
Dumas teamed up with Volkswagen in 2018 to pilot their I.D. R Pikes Peak, an all-electric, purpose-built race car that went from concept to competition in less than a year. Not only did he win the division, and King of the Mountain honors in 2018, he laid down a jaw-dropping sub-8-minute course record – 07:57.148.
In 2023, Dumas and Ford established a new record for an Electric Modified Truck/Van in the Ford Performance SuperVan 4.2 of 08:47.682, breaking the Pikes Peak Open division record.
For the second consecutive year, Dumas strapped in to a Ford Performance entry, this year an electric-powered F-150 Lightning SuperTruck. Despite an on-course power glitch early in his run, Dumas was able to restart and clinch the win to claim his fifth King of the Mountain crown.
Dumas shared the goal for 2024’s PPIHC, “We won our division last year, but not overall. That was the main goal with a new car. So I was looking forward to discovering the F-150 SuperTruck on the mountain and also to taking this overall victory home for Ford Performance. One of our targets was also to improve the time. We did it, but we should have done better. There was one issue early in the race. It shows again that everything can happen on the mountain.” The issue Dumas described was the electric power completely shutting down early in the run. He ran through restart procedures and was able to power up the truck, continue his run, and take the win.
Asked about this year’s victory, Dumas shared, “Obviously, it’s great to win again at Pikes Peak! It’s always hard to make it happen. Each win is special and has its own story. It’s the first overall win for me with Ford, and it’s a great reward for the team effort. Five wins is a nice number, but there are still more victories to take, in order to join legends like Monster Tajima (7 overall wins) or Bobby Unser (10 overall wins).”
Sri Pakkram, High-Performance EV Manager, for Ford Performance Motorsports, offered his take on this year’s victory, “Track and weather conditions are so much more variable at Pikes Peak than at other traditional racetracks, and Romain’s ability to gauge the grip levels and immediately perform at the limit of traction, right out of the gate, is unmatched. It’s a combination of his prodigious skill and experience that helps him perform at this level. In a place where you have such limited practice time, this combination of skill and experience is the biggest performance differentiator I can ask for when we’re going out there to be the best.”
Check out the newly released video F-150 Lightning SuperTruck Takes on Pikes Peak from Ford Performance featuring the story behind the build, and all the drama of racing on Pikes Peak.
BEYOND PIKES PEAK
Within weeks of claiming top honors on Pikes Peak, Dumas and Ford Performance conquered the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the 2023 Ford Performance SuperVan 4.2. Dumas explained one commonality between Goodwood and the PPIHC, “The pressure you have at the wheel, because you have to be good at the right time – you only have one shot.”
Asked what’s next, Dumas says he is working on various projects, offering, “I always have plenty of ideas in mind, sportscar, rally, off-road, and hill climbs, maybe NASCAR in the U.S. and V8 Supercars in Australia. One big target is the Dakar Rally and racing in top-level endurance races.”
GET TO KNOW ROMAIN DUMAS
Fun Facts:
“I like running, so I do quite a lot.”
“I like DIY projects at home, but I also have a passion for sailing. I restored a boat which was in quite bad shape.”
“My family is important and I am proud to see my kid growing up. It’s great to spend time with him and enjoy things together.”
What’s one thing you’d like to improve?
“I would say being more patient. Things need to go quick for me!”
Something you’ve never done and would like to do?
“Win Dakar overall.”
Somewhere you’ve never been, but wish to go?
“I’ve done quite a lot of things in my career, and basically raced almost everywhere; racetracks, rally or hill climb, in Europe, America, and Asia…even going on a volcano with a Porsche! Why not going to the moon? More seriously, there are a few places I have in mind to take on new exciting challenges. I like nature and there are beautiful locations to discover on earth via hiking, with a car or on a boat.”
2024 King of the Mountain – Romain Dumas Onboard Run and Post-Race Interview
Photos by: Larry Chen Photo, Revvolution.com, Jason Zindroski, Rob Miscowitch, Charles Zhao, Luis Garcia
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Contact:
Lisa Haight
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lisa@ppihc.org
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