Drivers Announced for 101st Running of The Race to the Clouds
A Second Century of Auto Racing on Pikes Peak Begins
Colorado Springs, CO – The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, brought to you by Gran Turismo, is pleased to announce the elite field of drivers invited to compete in the 2023 Race to the Clouds.
A full field, including 19 rookies, has been unveiled for the 101st Running with more details to be revealed in the coming weeks.
“The number of applications was impressive. Narrowing the field was not an easy job for our selection committee. Our roster this year is loaded with talent, experience, unique builds and a great variety of manufacturers.” shared Melissa Eickhoff, PPIHC Executive Director.
Four Kings of the Mountain will face off in June – Paul Dallenbach (3-time recipient and Hall of Famer), Rhys Millen (two-time recipient), Clint Vahsholtz (2020 King of the Mountain) and most recent champion, Robin Shute (three-time recipient). “It’s a true honor to be working with Aston Martin this year. It’s very special for me to drive for a brand with such storied racing roots back home in the UK, especially as Aston Martin celebrates their 110th anniversary,” stated Shute, “I can’t wait to make this Vantage GT3 roar up the mountain.”
Pikes Peak Hall of Famer Jeff Zwart will make his eighteenth appearance on the mountain. Many division winners are back on Pikes Peak including Dai Yoshihara, Codie Vahsholtz, Cam Ingram, Randy Pobst, “Texas” Dave Carapetyan and James Robinson.
Racers will compete in six divisions – the one-make Porsche Pikes Peak Trophy by Yokohama division, Pikes Peak Open, Time Attack 1, Open Wheel, Unlimited and Exhibition.
New Zealand’s “Mad Mike” Whiddett is set to compete in the Exhibition division for the first time in a 2022 Mazda 3. Other rookies slated to run in the same division include Lew Bouchier, Bret Curtis, Rick Lind, Matt Mullins and Kyle Tilley.
Fan favorite Tanner Foust returns to Pikes Peak in a never before seen, purpose built, 2023 Radford Type 62-2.
Four drivers will pilot diesel-powered entries, diesel fuel record holder Scott Birdsall in the 2022 CG Superlite LMP1, Gregoire Blachon in a 2023 Radical SR Diesel, and Cole Powelson in a 2010 Nissan Powerstroke GT-R. The popular “Old Smokey” a1949 Ford F1 returns, this time with Tyler Pappas on board.
Several electric vehicles will challenge the mountain including a 2022 Rivian R1T driven by Gardner Nichols, a 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid with Randy Pobst behind the wheel, and a 2021 Nissan Leaf piloted by Japan’s Takashi Oi.
Three notable women are on the grid – all veterans in this famous race. Kathryn Mead, 2020 Rookie of the Year, is back with her 2019 Porsche GT4 Cayman Clubsport in the Time Attack 1 group, joined by Laura Hayes of South Carolina in a 2021 Toyota Supra GT4. Loni Unser, a fourth-generation competitor from the legendary Unser family to tackle the mountain, will move from the one-make Porsche division to the Exhibition group piloting an Acura entry this year, a 2023 Acura Integra.
The youngest competitor is a talented 18-year-old rookie, Hayden Bradley, who hopes to take the green flag in the one-make Porsche Pikes Peak Trophy by Yokohama division in a 2020 Porsche Cayman. Joining him in the division is the oldest competitor, 68-year-old veteran driver, George Hess III.
Another noteworthy entry is two-time motorcycle champion in the former 1205 and Heavyweight divisions, Bruno Langlois who, like Codie Vahsholtz, has made the switch from two wheels to four. Langlois will strap in behind the wheel of a 2015 Aston Martin Vantage.
Teams from 11 countries and eighteen states will take part in the June 25th Race to the Clouds as the climb continues.
2023 Competitor List
Tickets are available now at www.ppihc.org
Photo Credit: Larry Chen Photo, Jason Zindroski, Luis Garcia, Charles Naboy
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
As we shift into high gear to prepare for the 2023 Race to the Clouds, we have some exciting news to share!
MERCH – Check out the latest merch at up to 50% off storewide now through 11/28/22.
A LUXURY WATCH – Order the commemorative 100th Running timepiece, created by French watchmaker BRM Chronographes. Teams can customize a watch to their specifications.
In June, Layne marked his 30th race on the famous mountain by taking part in the milestone 100th Running of The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, brought to you by Gran Turismo. Layne shared, “It was bittersweet to make my final run this year, but also the perfect time for me to retire from this great race. I have been on the mountain for every race since 1972 so we’ve enjoyed celebrating 50 years as a family on the mountain.”
Over his 30-year motorsports career on Pikes Peak, Schranz stood on the podium 17 times, including four division or class wins. He recalled one particularly special year, “In 2013, Dad won and I placed 2nd in the Pikes Peak Open division.” Schranz chose Chevrolets almost exclusively, the one exception coming in 2018 when he raced his father’s 1966 Shelby Cobra. That same year, Randy Schranz was inducted to the Pikes Peak Hill Climb Hall of Fame.
Some legendary PPIHC racing families lauded Schranz and his ability to compete well year after year. “Layne impresses me with how he shows up every year and stands on the gas after being out of the car for a year,” remarked PPIHC Hall of Famer Paul Dallenbach. “The Schranz family, to me, is what Pikes Peak is about.” Clint Vahsholtz who holds more division wins, by far, than anyone, shared, “Layne has been a very fierce competitor on Pikes Peak for 30 years – we will miss him at the summit.”
Dave Jordan, long-time start line flagman echoes that sentiment, “Layne is always a class act on the mountain, and a fierce competitor.”
However, the impact that Schranz has had in the lives of competitors is felt beyond the race course. In addition to his 30-year career as a driver, Schranz has served as chaplain for the event for the past 20 years. In 2002, Hunter Floyd, also a former PPIHC competitor turned pastor, asked Schranz to assume the role of spiritual leader and head up the early morning race day church service on the mountain. Schranz has faithfully performed in that role, gathering with fans, race officials and competitors in a clearing near the start line for a heartfelt prayer service before the sun rises. In 2021, Schranz, in turn, approached Don Wickstrum, aka “Fastest Pastor” who was beginning to make his mark on Pikes Peak, offering him the long-standing role of chaplain, which Wickstrum eagerly assumed in 2022. Wickstrum recalled, “Layne embodies what makes the PPIHC so special. He leaves a legacy of tenaciously pursuing the mountain while caring for us racers.”
While competing and ministering with passion, Schranz has earned respect and built lasting friendships. James Clay, veteran PPIHC racer, talked about their friendship sharing, “I met Layne my first year on the mountain, and since then we’ve become both friends and competitors with a camaraderie rarely seen elsewhere, partially due to the Pikes Peak event itself, but largely due to Layne’s character as a person. He’s a fantastic part of this event, and I will miss running with him.”
“Layne has a special place in all our hearts,” said fellow-competitor Dan Novembre. “I’ve watched Layne and his dad compete since the 1990s. They were some of my biggest inspirations as I dreamed of racing Pikes Peak as a local grassroots racer. I always looked for Layne’s time on the board first to see how close I was. I never could beat him! He was the first to let me know I had finished under 10 minutes in 2020 and was just so happy for me. That’s Layne – always looking out for others.”
In July, 
By September, David Donner, driver of the