Colorado Springs, CO — Friday marked the final practice day for the 103rd Running of The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, presented by Gran Turismo. While participation was optional, more than half of the 73 competitors scheduled to challenge the mountain on Sunday elected to get in one more day of preparation for the event.

LOWER SECTION – Unlimited and Open Wheel entries, the first two divisions to qualify this week on Tuesday, returned to the start line for one more test and tune session on Friday. Fastest qualifier Simone Faggioli and his teammate Diego Degasperi paced both the Unlimited and overall section standings with fastest times of 3:33.564 and 3:36.151, respectively. Both drivers’ best runs were faster than their respective qualifying times.

Third among all entries and once again fastest of the Open Wheel group was Colorado Springs native Dan Novembre, who laid down a 3:47.621 in his second and final attempt of the day. Unlimited driver David Donner and Open Wheel driver Codie Vahsholtz completed the overall top five.

MIDDLE SECTION – Loni Unser and Jeff Zwart have been toward the front of the Pikes Peak Open division for most of the week, and Friday’s optional practice was no exception. The BBi Autosport teammates were 1-2 when the dust settled in the middle section, with Unser’s 2023 Porsche 911 Turbo Cup turning a 2:32.598, on the last run, to top the charts.

The middle section had the fewest takers of the day with just nine, as the event’s largest group siphoned off a handful of entries to other sections. Patrick Culligan, Rob Dahm, and Trevor Aweida completed the top five, with all six, plus David Hackl, posting sub-three minute section times on the day.

UPPER SECTION – Romain Dumas’ pursuit of another King of the Mountain honor continued with the fastest time on the upper section today, a 2:20.329 on the fifth and final run. Dumas, who posted the second-fastest time in qualifying this week, will be 17th off the line on Sunday.

Four different divisions were represented in the top four, with Tom Tang (Unlimited) second, Steve Wetterau (Pikes Peak GT4 Trophy by Yokohama – Turbo) third, and Robb Holland (Time Attack 1) fourth. Emelia Hartford led the GT4 – NA competitors with a 2:54.355, more than six seconds up on her closest competition.

Tyler Pappas had an off at Cog Cut, but was uninjured, and his Tyspeed team, with assistance from Winslow BMW, is working to repair the 2025 BMW M2 for Sunday.

Co-written/edited by Lisa Haight