Return of the 59: Brumos to Race Pikes Peak International Hill Climb After Nearly a Decade
Daytona 24-Hour winner David Donohue to drive in 100th running of America’s second oldest auto race.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – March 29, 2022 – The Brumos Collection announced today that the iconic Brumos livery will return to professional competition for The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) on June 26, 2022. Also known as The Race to the Clouds, the PPIHC is an invitational automobile hill climb to the summit of Pikes Peak in Colorado.
David Donohue will take on the daunting mountain course behind the wheel of a Porsche GT2 RS Clubsport prepared in the iconic Brumos 59 red, white, and blue livery. This event is the first competition for Brumos since 2013, when it retired from 50 years of competing in a variety of series and classes.
“Racing for Brumos has been a highlight of my career that I look back on with pride,” said Donohue. “I feel humbled to play a role in bringing back the number 59 to such a special race and its milestone running.”
The PPIHC is Donohue's 120th race driving for Brumos. Of note, he was part of the team that brought Brumos its fourth overall win at the 24 hours of Daytona in 2009, more than 30 years after three Brumos victories in 1973, 1975 and 1978. For Donohue, the son of famed race-car driver and 1972 Indy 500 champion Mark Donohue, the win came on the 40th anniversary of his father's 1969 overall triumph in the same race.
The 2009 win was the culmination of then-Brumos CEO Bob Snodgrass’s stewardship of the Daytona Prototype program, which began in the early 2000s, and built upon Brumos' nearly 50 years of competing in a variety of series and classes.After Brumos retired from racing in 2013 the Jacksonville-based dealership was sold in 2016, paving the way for a new vision. The Brumos Collection opened in 2020 to the public — a 35,000 sq. ft. interactive experience that immerses visitors in the rich history of automotive design. The collection pays homage to history and significance of automotive innovation, from open-wheel Indy racers to celebrating Brumos and Porsche dominance.
“When we opened our collection in 2020, I was asked if we would ever race again,” said Dano Davis, Founder of the Brumos Collection. “Only two years later – and on the tail-end of a global pandemic – we’re taking on a storied, historic race with David as our driver. From the collection to the track, the iconic 59 will now once again fly.”
"The plan is to have BBI Autosport prepare the car for Brumos in May and work on the setup as they have done for me the last two years," said Donohue. "They are familiar with the unique challenge the mountain presents. With support from Porsche of the Main Line in Philadelphia and Porsche Colorado Springs, who have helped over the last several years, it feels like a Porsche Family effort. I’ll be running the Yokohama Advan race tires again, so there is a lot of familiarity in the program. Being back in Brumos colors is just unbelievably exciting for me, beyond words.”
Ultimately, the new Brumos Porsche GT2 RS Clubsport will join the many cars celebrating milestones at the Brumos Collection in Jacksonville.
About The Brumos Collection
The Brumos Collection is 35,000 square feet dedicated to the technology, innovation and historical significance behind some of the world’s finest automobiles. From the moment guests enter the grounds, carefully crafted design details honor auto racing history. The guard rails along the roadways are reminiscent of the guard rails you would have found racing along the tracks of a bygone era; a board track walkway leads to the building entrance, and the surrounding brickwork pays tribute to the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway “Brickyard.” For more comprehensive information, please visit: www.thebrumoscollection.com.
About David Donohue
Firmly established as a champion racing driver with an impressive resume that includes Touring Cars, Prototypes, NASCAR Stock Car and Craftsman Truck Series, Donohue was an integral part of the Brumos Racing family, driving a Brumos Racing Daytona Prototype in every Rolex Sports Car series race from 2003 through 2010. In 2009 he co-drove to victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Donohue and co-driver Darren Law joined Action Express Racing in 2011, sharing three podium finishes and 3rd place finish in DP driver points and later returned to Action Express Racing in 2012 with an all-new Corvette Daytona Prototype finishing 4th in points. Donohue was the 2013 Rolex-24 Hour GX class winner in Napleton Racing’s Porsche Cayman. In 2017 Porsche Colorado Springs asked Donohue to drive their 911 Turbo S up the mountain and he has been back every year since, taking the 2018 Time Attack 1 victory with a then record-setting time of 9:37.152 minutes in the 156-turn 12.5-mile mountain road.
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 automobile categories feature a wide variety of vehicles representing multiple forms of motorsport; everything from production-based Time Attack challengers to purpose-built Open Wheel racers and state-of-the-art Unlimited vehicles take on America’s Mountain pursuing victory. The 100th Running of this iconic motorsport event will take place on June 26, 2022.
Media Contact: Julia Motis, jmotis@daltonagency.com