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As I maneuvered the winding roads of Pikes Peak in an Acura TLX Type S, my hands gripped the wheel tightly, knuckles turning white. Even at a modest speed of 25 mph, I was acutely aware of the road’s inherent danger. For Acura drivers Katherine Legge, Paul Hubers, and pace car driver Coco Zurita, racing up the mountain at speeds exceeding 100 mph was simply part of the job.
Now in its 102nd year, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb still captivates with its blend of thrill, adventure, and trepidation, even though the terrain has changed from dirt to paved asphalt.
Acura has had ties with the Pikes Peak race for over ten years, sometimes presenting purpose-built vehicles to chase records, while at other times, using it as a testing ground for emerging performance technologies. They have even served as the official pace car on occasion. This year, Acura aimed to strike a balance, showcasing a bit of everything in Colorado Springs.
Coco Zurita, a BMX and time attack athlete, took the reins of the 2024 Acura ZDX Type S pace car. His infectious enthusiasm was evident, even as he pushed the SUV, weighing over 6,000 pounds, up the hill, heating its brakes in the process. Unlike the other racers, the pace car doesn’t contend for time; Zurita’s task was solely to demonstrate the car’s capabilities to the invited journalists. Despite the challenges of an electric SUV on street tires, he navigated the dangerous mountain with impressive skill. His fearless optimism is something I truly admire.
After Zurita’s run, delays and red flags forced Acura’s first driver, Katherine Legge, competing in a Honda Racing Corporation-designed Integra Type S, to wait far longer than anticipated.
During the wait, I posed a straightforward question to Acura representative Andrew Quillin: why rely on Pikes Peak? What drives the investment in development and marketing for such a perilous hill climb? Quillin responded that it is both a passion and a critical engineering challenge, stating, “Acura is a challenger brand, and our associates and engineers really embrace that challenging spirit. Competitive motorsports such as IMSA and SCCA allow us to thoroughly challenge ourselves and our products against our competitors. Pikes Peak, in particular, offers unique rewards—its storied history attracts global attention enhances excitement within our company. Moreover, unlike most racing formats, you typically only get one chance to get it right, making it the ultimate challenge.”
Finally, after hours of waiting, it was Katherine Legge’s turn. A seasoned racer with extensive credentials—including participation in the Indy 500—this was her inaugural Pikes Peak attempt. However, she aimed not just to complete the 12.5-mile, 4,720-foot climb but to set a new front-wheel-drive record of 10:48.094, previously held by Nick Robinson.
Though originally set to start at 9:30 A.M.—when the cooler air would have benefited her powerful turbocharged engine—Legge began her run at noon, battling through hot and thick air, which is far from ideal conditions for a turbocharged vehicle at high elevation. This was clearly evident during the run.
With her father’s support waving the green flags, she set off from the starting line, and the Acura team—engineers, PR personnel, and journalists alike—watched eagerly as her split times came in. The anticipation was palpable; even as an impartial spectator, I could feel the tense atmosphere. More importantly, there was hope that the official times would appear, as any delay could signal a serious problem for Legge. Fortunately, those times came through, and she completed the ascent without any accidents. However, the result was not as desirable as they had anticipated: a time of 10:51 left her short of the coveted front-wheel-drive record, possibly due to the unpredicted heat at the summit. Legge, ever the professional athlete, expressed her view that improvements could be made to her performance.
Despite not hitting her target, Acura still had another competitor ready to go. Shortly after, Paul Hubers, piloting a HART Acura Integra A-Spec, geared up for his third attempt at Pikes Peak. Familiar with the mountain, he offered us turn-by-turn directions the day prior. Hubers aimed to finish the climb in under 12 minutes. Yet, his journey was not without challenges.
Hubers was on track, achieving or exceeding expected times in the first two sectors, but encountered an interruption when the vehicle ahead crashed, necessitating him to turn back and return to the starting line. Fortunately, he treated this initial attempt as practice, and on his second run, he excelled, clocking in at 11:40.736.
The 2024 Pikes Peak race proved success not just for Acura but also in general, as all drivers finished without serious injuries. The overall victory went to Ford with its whimsically named F-150 Lightning SuperTruck, which is neither truly an F-150 Lightning nor a truck. Acura’s participation was commendable, with all three drivers completing the climb successfully, one even leaving a mark as the pace car driver. Will Acura return next year? Without a doubt. I eagerly await the outcomes.
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