PPIHC Rookies Prove They Have What it Takes in the 2024 Unlimited Division

PPIHC
July 22, 2024

PPIHC ROOKIES PROVE THEY HAVE WHAT IT TAKES IN THE 2024 UNLIMITED DIVISION

Colorado Springs, Colorado — The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, brought to you by Gran Turismo, welcomed 21 rookies to America’s Mountain in June. The Unlimited division included seven of those newcomers, with an impressive four drivers wheeling their way into the Fast 15 qualifiers.

At the top of the list of first-time PPIHC racers in the Unlimited division, was five-time European Hill Climb Champion, Christian Merli. He took on the mountain in one of the newest cars in the Unlimited class, a 2024 Wolf Aurobay GB08 2.0 HP. The Italian driver is at the height of his powers in Europe, having swept all eight races last year in an Osella FA30 in the premier class. His success in Europe easily transferred to the Race to the Clouds, first with a Fast 15 qualifying time followed by a blistering 9:04.454 on race day—good for best in division, second overall, and 2024 Rookie of the Year.

After Derek Boyd took the Halona Farms/4D Engineering 2008 Mitsubishi Evo X to a fifth place division finish last year, Dominick Tapia wheeled the car for 2024. Tapia was a crew member at previous PPIHC events for more than a decade, including on this car last year, and has driven the car in previous events including Gridlife at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Tapia made a strong statement about his driving ability when he qualified in the Fast 15 his first time on the mountain. On race day he claimed a fifth place finish in the division, and 13^th place overall, posting a time of 10:20.479.

As part of his first PPIHC effort, Tom Tang helped Toyo Tires develop the Proxes R, an all-new DOT Competition race tire that he used to take on his first Race to the Clouds. The new tires were outfitted to an 2002 BMW M3 nicknamed “Ursula” and built by Trackspec Autosports. Tang’s race record includes plenty of road racing success, including podiums at endurance races like the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill. With an impressive qualifying run, he was listed as one of the Fast 15. He would notch a seventh place division finish in his first PPIHC with a time of 10:31.372.

Mary Barker drove Mechanical Advantage Racing’s second car, a 2000 Subaru Impreza GC8 nicknamed “Blue Steel” that underwent a full restoration for the event. After watching her fiancé Kendall Samuel set a time of 11:40.859 as a rookie in the Impreza last year, she got to compete alongside him this time around—with their wedding, officiated by “Fastest Pastor” Don Wickstrum, awaiting them at the finish line! Barker’s 12:20.556 was good for tenth in the division, just one spot behind her husband.

Chris Johnson rounded out the list of Unlimited division rookie finishers with his Nissan Skyline GTR R32. A familiar face at Global Time Attack and Gridlife events, Johnson’s car may say it’s from 1991, but his Attacking the Clock Racing team thoroughly modernized the build for Johnson’s first attempt on Pikes Peak. He made it to the summit in 15:45.707 after facing issues during his race run.

Edmonton’s Jay Esterer has been racing for more than 30 years, with a current focus in spec Radical SR3 and the Mazda Miata series in Canada alongside his rookie run at PPIHC. Before that, he took part in everything from ice racing in a Volkswagen Rabbit to 360 Sprint Car action on both dirt and asphalt. Despite promising practices all week, including an impressive Fast 15 qualifying run, he wasn’t able to make it to the finish line on race day as he spun out in the 2023 Empire Wraith at Devils Playground.

France’s Bruce Jouanny, who boasts an extensive resume in both racing and automotive media, brought the all-new Quarkus P3 to the mountain. He’s competed in both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and top open-wheel development series, and he also served as the development and test driver for Superleague Formula. Behind the microphone, Jouanny has provided racing commentary and TV hosting, including Top Gear France. Unfortunately, gearbox issues brought his Sunday run to an early halt.