For immediate release
June 8, 2022 12:00pm PST
Contact: Amanda Kreklau, info@000magazine.com
Three-time King of the Mountain David Donner will pursue production car record at 100th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 2022 Porsche 911 Turbo S
Colorado Springs—When seven-time Pikes Peak winner David Donner joined Porsche collector Jim Edwards and 000 editor Pete Stout for dinner at last year’s Napa Valley 750, a vintage car rally, the conversation quickly turned to the 100th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. It wasn’t long before the trio hatched a plan that would put Donner into the ideal car for an attempt on the production car record: a 992 Turbo S with the Lightweight Package.
“Jim volunteered a new car and I volunteered to drive,” Donner quipped. “Jim’s ability to see the big picture and how to make things happen, along with a huge dose of optimism, have made this project a lot of fun. I don’t think ‘no’ or ‘can’t be done’ reside in his vocabulary.”
“Pikes Peak is an iconic American event,” Edwards said. “Who wouldn’t want to be part of the 100th running?”
For Stout and 000, it was an opportunity to partner with Donner at Pikes Peak for a second time. Their 2020 effort with a box-stock 911 GT2 RS Clubsport resulted in a Time Attack 1 win and record. “Donner prepared that car for its first race in just three weeks, then drove it to a class win and third overall,” Stout said. “He finished 1.069 second behind the overall winner’s purpose-built open-wheeler…in a 911 race car that was built on an assembly line.”
The current production car record, which stands at 10 minutes and 18.488 seconds, was set by Rhys Millen in a Bentley Continental GT in 2019—besting Donner’s 2015 time of 10:26.896 in a 2014 911 Turbo S.
“Enthusiasts know a fast time on Pikes Peak much like they know a fast lap time on the Nordschleife,” said Stout. “The variables on the 14,115-foot mountain present a unique challenge, as do the risks. With no way to practice the full course, you get one shot every twelve months—if the weather cooperates. When it comes to international intrigue, I’d put Pikes Peak up there with Le Mans, Monaco, and the Isle of Man TT. Now consider the fact that you can still race a street-legal car at Pikes Peak on Sunday and drive it to lunch on Monday, much as you might have with an early 911 in the first golden era of the sports car…”
The 2022 911 Turbo S that Donner will race was custom-ordered through Champion Porsche in Pompano Beach, Florida. It went straight from the showroom to the race shop.
“We partnered with our friends at 000 and David Donner at Pikes Peak in 2020, then took to America’s Mountain ourselves in 2021,” said Mitra Maraj, President of Champion Porsche. “Both programs resulted in first-in-class finishes, so I’m very excited to reunite with 000 and David for the 100th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb by helping them prepare a car for their effort. Our relationship with Pete has developed so much over the years, and it’s always a pleasure show our support whenever we can.”
For Stout, that support has special meaning: “When I met Mitra in 2019, I learned his father, Dave Maraj, started out in newspapers and always loved print—so it’s fitting that the theme of 000’s second livery for Pikes Peak is ‘Print isn’t Dead.’ While everyone has held a magazine, few know how they’re made. We wanted to provide a peek into the process. Like most magazines, 000 is printed on 16-page signatures with eight pages per side. Those sheets are then folded and trimmed, which explains the seemingly random page order, proof stripes, and trim markings you see.”
To help the livery make the leap from concept to reality, 000 reached out to regular contributor Glen Cordle to render a 992 Turbo S wrapped in ultra-high-resolution files from Hemlock Printers—providing a three-dimensional blueprint for a wrap painstakingly installed by Kris Lim and the team at Superior Auto Design in Pompano Beach. As for the subject of the article, Porsche’s original 911 Turbo? This, too, seemed fitting.
“Many of us think of the Turbo as a luxurious 911, but the earliest Turbos were fairly light cars that homologated the 934 and 935 for Group 4 and Group 5 racing,” Stout said. “The article you see—written by Richard Meaden, photographed by Andy Morgan, and designed by Justin Page—explored what the first 911 Turbo was like to drive in the context of the 1973 Carrera RS. The Lightweight Package for today’s Turbo S removes 80 pounds, making a fast car even faster: Car and Driver logged 0-30 mph in 0.8 second, 0-60 in 2.1 seconds, and the quarter-mile in 9.9 seconds at 139 mph—but there’s more to 911s than straight-line speed. They’re known for their stability under braking and ability to put the power down out of corners. Tom Pelov and Victor Scanapico at Champion have done a fantastic job preparing this car, and we can’t wait to see what Donner can do with it at Pikes Peak.”
“This year’s entry is quite a bit simpler than our 2021 entry, but it presented its own unique challenges and equally exciting opportunities,” said Pelov, General Manager at Champion Motorsport. “To prepare a car for a veteran driver like David Donner—as well as the team that has gathered around him—isn’t something that we have taken lightly. It has been an honor and a privilege.”
Donner has approached the project with similar intensity. “I’ve always gone to Pikes Peak to win or set a record—the stakes are too high unless you’re there to prove something and can do so professionally,” he said. “My family’s history with Porsche at Pikes Peak stems from my father, Bob Donner, who won three times in Porsche Spyders in 1960, 1961, and 1962. My last three wins here have been with a Porsche, so it would be meaningful to make it four. The connection with 000 began in 2020, and none of the contacts or logistics to put a winning team together would have existed without its involvement. We still have a lot to accomplish in testing, but we’re looking forward to joining a huge grid of technologically advanced race cars and world-class drivers for the 100th.”
As for Edwards, who owns Bob Wollek’s Le Mans-winning 934 and Bob Akin’s “Last 935,” he can’t wait to see his newest 911 on America’s Mountain. “I bought my first Porsche in 1961 and have owned many over the years,” said Edwards, who hasn’t forgotten what matters. “Whether racing or displaying them, it’s always fun to watch wide-eyed kids come up to look at them. They know a Porsche when they see one.”
About 000: Founded in 2016, this collectible quarterly provides Porsche enthusiasts with new insights and unrivaled perspective. Each issue has 260 pages and weighs three pounds. Its name, spoken as “Triple Zero,” is a reference to three-digit Porsche model numerology. 000 is not affiliated with Porsche AG or any of its subsidiaries. For more info, visit 000magazine.com
About Champion: Founded in 1994 by Dave Maraj, a former rally driver from Trinidad, Champion Motors is the largest Porsche dealer in America. Its subsidiaries, Champion Racing and Champion Motorsport, have campaigned Porsches and Audis in North American series as well as Le Mans and returned to motorsport in 2021 with a 911 GT2 RS Clubsport that won at Pikes Peak. For more info, visit championmotorsport.com
David Hackl, inaugural winner shared, “In 2021 we were the recipient of the Alcon Brakes No Holding Back award. It was a complete surprise and incredibly moving to receive this nomination from Alcon and the whole Pikes Peak family. Winning this award reinforced our steadfast dedication to running our historic Audi Quattro in this prestigious race and gave us the opportunity to set more aggressive goals for success in 2022 including being the fastest Audi ever. We are ecstatic to have Alcon Brakes on board at every turn up the hill. The team at Alcon Brakes worked tirelessly to make this one-off custom package for our special car, and the control and confidence these brakes provide will no doubt be a game changer for us in the 2022 Race to the Clouds.” Hackl will compete for the 9th time this year in his #2 1983 Audi Quattro. His best time was recorded in 2020 when he finished in sixth place in 11:10.177.
“It is a huge privilege for Alcon to be involved with the 100th Running of the iconic Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, both as a supplier to competitors and as an award partner,” shared Jonathan Edwards, Group Sales Director, Alcon Brakes. “The event, steeped in history, is one that we hold very dear to our hearts. We can’t wait for race day and look forward with great pride to awarding the No Holding Back prize to a most worthy competitor.”
“One of the best trophies a race winner can receive is an exclusive watch that commemorates that event,” shared Fred Veitch, Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Board Chairman, continuing, “and our partnership with B.R.M. allows us to offer each division winner something truly unique. We’re so appreciative of their effort to create memorable awards for our winners and our Hall of Fame inductees. The 100th Running celebration provides us with an opportunity to do something special for our competitors. In addition to our $100,000 purse, it is a pleasure to present these exclusive timepieces.”
Eight inductees to the Pikes Peak Hill Climb Museum Hall of Fame will receive their custom clocks at a special reception on June 23. Division winners will receive the commemorative watches at the 2022 PPIHC Awards Ceremony, presented by B.R.M. Chronographes, on Monday, June 27.
About the PPIHC Bergmeister Trophy: 
A Brief History of Porsche Racing on Pikes Peak: 
Few Porsche entries attempted the popular Rally class in the 1980s. By the mid-1990s, Jeff Zwart made his mark on Pikes Peak in a Porsche and never looked back. Zwart was inducted in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb Museum Hall of Fame in 2018 in honor of his accomplishments behind the wheel as a multi division winner, along with his roles as a photographer, filmmaker and driving coach. David Donner and Romain Dumas in Porsche GT3Rs, found great success on Pikes Peak with division wins during the 2010s. A one-make Porsche division was introduced in 2018 with fan favorite Travis Pastrana taking home first place.
The award for the fastest Porsche in 2021 was piloted by overall record holder, Romain Dumas behind the wheel of the #38 Champion Porsche. Dumas won the Time Attack 1 division in a 2019 Porsche 911 GT2RS Clubsport.
Don Sanborn is the current President of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb Historical Association and a member of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb Museum Committee. He is also a part of the broadcast team calling the action on race day with KRDO NewsRadio.
Colorado Springs, CO – The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, brought to you by Gran Turismo, is pleased to announce the driver of the pace car for the milestone 100th Running of the Race to the Clouds, Valkyrie Racing’s Renèe Brinkerhoff.
Brinkerhoff is the founder and World Record breaking driver of 
Murdock first entered the Race to the Clouds in 1965 in the Sports Car division driving a Corvette, finishing 7th with a time of 18:03.2. He returned in 1966 and improved both his finish position and his finish time, 6th place in 14:42.5. In 1967 and 1969, Murdock moved to the Open Wheel division, also in a Chevrolet, but was foiled in both attempts to finish. Undeterred, he returned in the Open Wheel group in 1970 and finished 7th in 14:11.8. Murdock put together a Stock Car entry in 1973, a Plymouth 426, but again, failed to finish.
Skilled in navigating the all-dirt course in his early years of competition coupled with experience on the paved surface since 2016, Murdock says his goal has always been the same, “To go up there, have fun and do the best I can.” Murdock is preparing to bring the 1991 Chevrolet IROC Camaro raced by his son, Kevin, in 2021, to America’s Mountain for the 100th Running and is thrilled with the new team sponsor, Axe and the Oak Distillery, and the new livery which Ralph can only describe as “ominous-looking”. Fans can see the racecar and meet Ralph Murdock at Fan Fest on June 24 in downtown Colorado Springs.