FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 8, 2023
BMW TO LEAD PPIHC’S PARADE OF CHAMPIONS WITH DRIVER ROBERT STOUT
Colorado Springs, Colorado — The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, brought to you by Gran Turismo is pleased to welcome Robert Stout as the lead driver in this year’s Parade of Champions. Stout will lead the parade in a 2024 BMW M3 CS provided by the BMW Performance Center in conjunction with Winslow BMW of Colorado Springs.
“Much like previous years, we have another accomplished driver and racer, Robert Stout, who has 17 years of racing experience in Grand-Am, IMSA, and the Pirelli World Challenge, to name a few,” said Melissa Eickhoff, PPIHC Executive Director, “BMW Performance Center and Winslow BMW of Colorado Springs are loyal partners of the PPIHC and always provide an incredible car to showcase during the Parade, which is a high point of the event for our race fans.”
Each year, the Parade of Champions takes place after the final driver completes their run. The lead car brings finishers back down the mountain as fans pay tribute to those who have conquered the 14,115′ summit. BMW Performance Center and Winslow BMW of Colorado Springs regularly provide the lead vehicle for the parade, while drivers selected to lead the parade have found success in all forms of performance driving.
MEET ROBERT STOUT
Stout has been a professional driver for more than a decade, securing five racing championships. The California native has raced everything from sports cars to sprint cars, off-road trucks to UTVs, and much more, and has served as a factory driver for Scion and a driver coach for many of America’s premier driving schools and clubs. Stout’s most recent successes have come in off-road racing, as he took the 2019 Production 1000 UTV national championship in the Lucas Off-Road Racing Series. He has also captured multiple wins and Rookie of the Year honors in Stadium Super Trucks.
THE BMW M3 CS
Featuring increased engine power, a bespoke chassis setup, exclusive design features, and much more to set it apart, the M3 CS sits atop the hierarchy of BMW performance sedans. The car produces 550 horsepower from its M TwinPower Turbo inline 6-cylinder engine, and can accelerate from 0-60 miles per hour in just 3.4 seconds. The M3 CS also features an 8-speed M Steptronic Sport transmission, M xDrive with Active M Differential for maximum traction, standard Adaptive M suspension and the M Drive Professional system, and optional M Carbon ceramic brakes. Find more information on the BMW M3 CS here.
Three BMWs are slated to compete in this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. James Clay will take on the event for the fifth time in the Pikes Peak Open division in a 1995 BMW M3. Former event record holder and two-time King of the Mountain, Rhys Millen, has entered the Exhibition division in a 2023 BMW M8, and two-time Parade of Champions driver, Matt Mullins, will join Millen in the same division in a 2023 BMW XM Label Red.
ABOUT BMW PERFORMANCE CENTER WEST
A permanent performance-driver training facility located in Thermal, California, near Palm Springs. The facility is open to the public and offers a wide range of driving schools for people of all ages and capabilities as well as special programs for private and corporate groups. The BMW Performance Driving Schools are taught by BMW professional driving instructors on a private course. The classes provide individuals with the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the Ultimate Driving Machine® and learn proper vision, basic car control, panic braking, handling, emergency lane changing, distracted driving, high-speed control and precision driving. Set against a backdrop of breathtaking mountain views, the facility features a luxurious modern building, up to 5.1 miles of expansive track layouts, meeting spaces, a gourmet café, gift shop and a truly unique experience for the automotive enthusiast.
ABOUT BMW: BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and Rolls-Royce Motor Car. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is the BMW Group global center of competence for BMW X models and manufactures the X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7 Sports Activity Vehicles. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 349 BMW passenger car and BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 144 BMW motorcycle retailers, 112 MINI passenger car dealers, and 38 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers.
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