Fog, rain, cold add to challenge as Unser adds to family legacy at Pikes Peak
Colorado Springs, Colo. (27 June 2022) – Making her debut run in the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) in highly challenging conditions, Loni Unser added another chapter to the remarkable Unser legacy in the event on Sunday.
Taking on the 156 turns in 12.42-miles with nearly 5,000 feet of elevation gain that make Pikes Peak one of the most unique challenges in motorsport, Unser piloted the No. 92 Pep Boys/Yokohama/Mobil 1/Hagerty Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport to second in the Porsche Pikes Peak Trophy class.
The Unser family history in the Pikes Peak event has featured a wide range of cars. From monster Unlimited class entries to electric-powered entries, Unsers have made record-setting runs an the way to taking scores of trophies through the decades from the annual event. 2022 marked the 100th running of the Pikes Peak event as Unser carried the same No. 92 that her father Johnny ran.
Unser, who regularly races in the No. 701 Porsche Cayman for Round Three Racing in World Racing powered by Hagerty, impressed with her pace and poise on debut despite some setbacks leading up to the race.
Practice and qualifying started on Tuesday with the lower section of the mountain as Unser clocked off the third-fastest time in the eight entry class. She upped the ante on Wednesday, setting the second quickest time in practice and qualifying for the middle section of the uphill climb. The third practice and qualifying day was at the top of the mountain. Unser was running second when the mountain grabbed the Porsche GT4 Clubsport. The incident made it questionable if the No. 92 would make Sunday’s race.
Saturday afternoon, the Porsche GT4 came back to life with the help of a fantastic team at Porsche Colorado. Unser took the green flag waved by her dad, Johnny. Unser focused through the dense fog and heavy rain as she made her way up the mountain with a time of 12.55.774-seconds.
“Yesterday was really incredible because it was a miracle,” said Unser. “Finishing second was incredible. There are so many people that helped make this possible, especially since the incident on Thursday. Huge thank you to Porsche Colorado, Porsche North America, my parents, and my sponsors for making this run possible. It was really special to have my dad drop the green flag for me! I’m so thankful for the opportunity to have taken the checkered at Pikes Peak in the Porsche GT4.”
Unser will next be behind the wheel July 8-10 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for her fifth World Racing league event for the season. She will be piloting the Hagerty Motorsports-supported No. 701 Porsche Cayman for Round 3 Racing.
