Porsche claims class wins at 104th Pikes Peak Hill Climb with debut victory by Billy Johnson
Porsche drivers secured class victories at the 104th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, including a debut win by Billy Johnson in the Open class.
- 9:12.723
- 32nd
- 10
What Happened
Ten Porsche entries competed across the Open, Time Attack 1, and GT4 Trophy classes at the 104th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado. Billy Johnson made a stunning debut, winning the Open class in a highly modified 911 GT3 with a time of 9:12.723. Clint Vahsholtz secured first place in the GT4 Trophy class in his 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport on his 32nd appearance at the event. In Time Attack 1, Jeff Zwart and David Donner finished second and third respectively in their GT2 RS Clubsport and 911 Turbo S.
Johnson, a former NASCAR driver, outpaced several open-wheel entries in his rear-wheel-drive 911 GT3, finishing less than a minute behind overall winner Romain Dumas. Vahsholtz's experience paid off, while Donner's bid for a course record fell short against a Corvette ZR1X. Kathy Mead, the fastest woman ever at Pikes Peak, finished ninth in Time Attack.
Why this matters
Pikes Peak is a legendary hill climb race, and Porsche's multiple class wins showcase the performance and versatility of its sports cars in one of the world's most challenging events.
Terms in This Story
- Hill Climb
- A timed race up a hill or mountain, often on a winding road.
- Open class
- A race class for heavily modified cars with few restrictions.
- GT4 Trophy class
- A class for near-stock GT4-spec cars, often used in customer racing.
- Time Attack 1
- A class for street-legal, near-stock cars competing for fastest time.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.