TYLER PAPPAS OVERCOMES DRASTIC DAMAGE TO TAKE ON PIKES PEAK IN 2025
Colorado Springs, CO – On the final run of the final practice session in the upper section, at the end of race week, Tyler Pappas approached Cog Cut, when something went terribly wrong.
Pappas had returned for the 2025 Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, presented by Gran Turismo, for his third attempt at glory, seeking to best Rhys Millen’s Production Car record of 10:12.24 set in 2023 in a BMW M8. (pictured below)
Pappas explained his strategy for chasing the record, “Deep down, it’s about knowing what I know about the BMW brand. I’ve committed my whole career to it. Now, I’m not nearly as fast as Rhys, with his raw ability to drive, but I think my advantage is my knowledge of these cars and how to make them perform.
“Since the PPIHC rules dictate very little change other than safety, we modified it in ways we were allowed, like exhaust, tuning, and the fuel we chose, ethanol.”
IN PURSUIT
“This is my third year competing on Pikes Peak. It’s been a lifelong dream of mine,” shared Pappas.
“I competed in 2019 for the first time in a 2018 BMW Model M2. We bought it from a dealership and immediately converted it to a race car. I started doing club racing with it at local tracks on different road courses. One day I saw an ad for Pikes Peak and thought, “This car looks pretty cool, and I’m pretty confident in driving it, I should apply and see what happens. I figured it was never going to happen, but in January I got an envelope in the mail, and I was like, ‘No way!’
“We opened the envelope together as a team and it was our acceptance letter. I thought, ‘We’re gonna be busy.'”
The #241 didn’t disappoint. Clocking a time of 12:28.242, for a 10th place finish in the Time Attack 1 division, Pappas was no longer a rookie.
“There are so many factors on Pikes Peak,” he explained, “the prep of your car and did you bring the right tires; did you soften the suspension; is your windshield going to fog up; can you trust the grip your tires have for the course temperature.” Pappas felt his 10-years of road racing experience, up to that point, helped him adapt.
In 2023, thanks to a friendship he had built with Scott Birdsall, Pappas was offered a chance to compete again. “Scott had put together two vehicles, his diesel truck ‘Old Smokey’ and his LMP car. He asked me if I wanted to drive the truck. I knew everybody loved that truck and thought that would be cool.”
But, Pappas’ and Birdsall’s plans changed suddenly in early June when Birdsall’s LMP blew a motor. To fulfill sponsorship commitments, he made the hard choice to drive Old Smokey himself, leaving Pappas without a ride.
“I was really hungry for another chance to drive on Pikes Peak so I got busy working with Scott, and the PPIHC, to see if another option was available. It was thirteen days before the race.
“Basically, we took a road racing car that I was running in NASA events on the East Coast, a 2012 M3 and turned into a Pikes Peak car. We made a bunch of changes in a very short time and, with four days to go, we put it in the trailer and drove 2000 miles across the country, arriving the day before Tech.”
“It’s funny thinking about my crew that year. It was me, my brother, a friend of mine, plus my dog. My brother is a pilot and doesn’t know anything about cars. My friend works in IT, and my dog, obviously, doesn’t have hands, so, I was getting out of the car, changing the tires, and doing all the things, but I did have moral support!”
“That year was about making it happen, getting to the top, and looking good doing it.
“And a nice treat for me was winning the ALCON Brakes No Holding Back Award which was a $12,000 prize toward performance parts. That was really cool.”
THE ASK
In November, 2024, Pappas decided to follow up on a conversation he’d had with a Colorado Springs BMW dealership in 2023. “Coming into this year, I had two years of experience on the mountain, and I called Gregg at Winslow BMW to see if they were interested in revisiting providing a car for Pikes Peak. I asked for an M2 because I think it’s the best balance of size, weight, and power output.
“He custom-ordered a 2025 M2, and we got some support from BMW North America as well. I picked up the car from Gregg on January 10 and drove it home to New Jersey with my social media guy, Vincent, so we could document the journey. Within about five days we had it completely stripped down to the bare chassis and had started construction on the roll cage.”
THE WRAP
Pappas revealed, “We put a lot of emphasis on the wrap this year. I wanted to pay homage to BMW Motorsport and, as a privateer, display my passion for the brand. The idea was to make the car look fast while it was standing still. We sketched out a few ideas and reached out to a very well-known livery designer, Andy Blackmore, who turned our idea into reality. BMW North America actually put it on display in their lobby.”
COG CUT AWAITS
As the second to last turn before the finish line, Cog Cut catches many drivers by surprise. The bumps leading into it are deceiving, and it’s a fine line between shaving off a few seconds or braking too late and losing control. On Friday of race week, leaving the course at high speed, landing near the Cog Railway tracks amidst rocks and boulders, Pappas feared his 2025 effort was over.
“A lot of things are outside of your control, so you’re only working with what you can – your two hands on the wheel and foot on that pedal.”
Tyler Pappas
HEROIC EFFORT
When the team returned to Winslow BMW, they were welcomed to an unbelievable surprise. An M2, recently purchased by an employee of the dealership, just so happened to be on the lot. “When we asked him about the possibility of borrowing parts from his personal vehicle,” said Pappas, “he didn’t even blink. The effort to rebuild was incredible.
“What my team accomplished that day was nothing short of amazing. We felt like our own superheroes that day, and I think it will be hard to duplicate that feeling ever again,” Pappas exclaimed.
PERSPECTIVE
Summing up his 2025 effort, Pappas expressed, “Our 2025 race run was not what the team and I wanted, but that’s just part of this race. Between the delayed start and shortened course, my mind was not really as focused as it needed to be during my run. Track conditions, later in the afternoon, were slick which yielded a slower than expected result. But, I still feel, based on our qualifying and practice times, we would’ve been on-track to overthrow the production record, and I have to sleep at night knowing that.”
Pappas’ 2025 run to the Glen Cove finish line was clocked at 04:37.517, for an 8th place finish in Time Attack 1, and his third consecutive finish.
Looking ahead to 2026, Pappas added, “We’ll do our best to make it back and try to get that record for BMW and our team.”
GET TO KNOW TYLER PAPPAS
Instagram: @tyspeed
Fun Facts:
“My favorite food is Italian, and whenever I try a new restaurant, I judge them by their preparation of the classic Chicken Parmesan.”
“My favorite place to vacation is the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee.”
“I have my pilot’s license, and on a smaller scale, I also enjoy building and flying radio controlled airplanes.”
PPIHC Hero: “Probably Rhys Millen. He’s, for sure, a modern-day legend. Watching him drive with his level of confidence up the mountain has always blown me away. He basically takes on Pikes Peak like another person would take their car to the grocery store, and that’s always impressed me. He also has the largest variety of efforts under his belt and has held various records over the years. Pretty incredible considering that Pikes Peak is just ONE of his many motorsport endeavors.”
Advice for a PPIHC Rookie: “Stay balanced. It’s not just about showing up and driving as fast as you can. There’s so much to be on top of here. The car itself is just as important as the driver. Keeping your temperatures in check until you clear the climbing W’s is probably the single most important thing you can do.”
Favorite Section: “For sure Boulder Park. It always makes me feel like I’m racing on Mars – or a different planet altogether. The speed we carry up here, and the risk we take to drive it fast, is something I think about every time I’m up there.”
Pre-Race Routine: “I tend to find a song I like, and listen to it on repeat for about 15 minutes out in the woods, behind the paddock, before I get in the car. This helps me ‘zen-out’ and clear my head.”
Favorite memory from 2025: “There were so many! Probably our ‘fashionably late’ arrival at Fan Fest with the fully repaired car just eight hours after the wreck that morning. We received such a positive reaction from fans and race officials that it made our efforts feel worthwhile.”
Post-Race Celebration: “A good ol’ Coors Light with the team! And a celebratory hug with each member of my family, friends and team members.”
Favorite track: “Watkins Glen. It’s an old-school, famous road course with big speed and high risk. Reminds me a lot of racing at Pikes Peak!”
BEHIND THE WHEEL WITH TYLER PAPPAS IN LAST-MINUTE M2 REBUILD
Photos by: Larry Chen Photo – Larry Chen, Leif Bergerson, Luis Garcia, Charles Zhao, Jason Zindroski.
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lisa@ppihc.org
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