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Porsche GT4 Class Created for Pikes Peak

Porsches launches invitation-only class at Pikes Peak for Cayman GT4 Clubsport…

Photo: Porsche

Porsche has created a one-make class for this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, open to variants of the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport.

It is the first official one-make Porsche category in the 96-year history of the event, and will include eight invitation-only entries competing for the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Pikes Peak Hill Climb Trophy by Yokohama.

The hill climb takes place on June 24 on the Colorado course.

Three variants of the car are eligible: the Clubsport, the GT4-spec Clubsport MR and IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge GS-spec Clubsport.

Porsche factory driver and defending Pikes Peak winner Romain Dumas will be present at the event as a special guest of the manufacturer and assisting the class, while also competing himself with an electric Volkswagen prototype.

Pikes Peak regular Jeff Zwart (pictured) will take up the role of driving coach for the class’ participants. The Californian has won eight times between 1994 and 2015, all in Porsche 911s. 

“The first race win of any kind for Porsche came in 1948 at a hill climb shortly after the Porsche No. 1 rolled out of the small shop in Gmünd, Austria,” said Dr. Daniel Armbruster, president and CEO of Porsche Motorsport North America.

“Many of our victories since have come at hill climbs with some of our greatest drivers like Vic Elford and Romain Dumas.

“So, it is only natural that we participate in the greatest of American hill climbs, and possibly the most famous in the world, Pikes Peak.

“Jeff Zwart, who has eight wins here with Porsche, and Romain, who is the defending winner, were instrumental in helping this effort come to reality.

“We worked closely with the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Organization and our current and prospective racers to create a category that should highlight their skills and the Cayman GT4 Clubsport.

“It is our goal, in cooperation with the PPIHC, to build this class in the coming years.”

Jake Kilshaw is a UK-based journalist. He is a graduate of Politics and International Relations.

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