The Ford F-150 Lightning SuperTruck electric vehicle demonstrator overcame a hurdle and found success at the 102nd Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, notching a time of 8:53.553 – the fastest among 61 competitors.
This result comes just days after the truck set a new qualifying record for the open class with a time of 3:32.831, more than seven seconds faster than the previous record of 3:39.939 set by the Ford Performance SuperVan 4.2 in 2023.
“The progression of Ford electric vehicles taking on and completing the toughest challenges is a major testament to the hard work and dedication our teams have put into the program,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “We learned a great deal from SuperVan 4.2 in last year’s Pikes Peak International Hill climb and were able to apply that knowledge to this year’s run. It’s onward and upward from here.”
Driver Romain Dumas overcame a technical issue during the climb, coming to a complete stop on the course. That stop added about 26 seconds compared to his initial qualifying time. Quick thinking from Dumas helped to minimize the issue, as the Frenchman completely reset the 1,600-horsepower F-150 Lightning SuperTruck and continued his climb.
“I’m honored to achieve this victory with Ford Performance at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb,” Dumas said. “Everything about this event is a challenge because it is unlike any other form of racing, you only have one shot. We faced a challenge early on but that only gave me more determination to make up the lost time in the rest of the run.”
The construction of the Ford Performance F-150 Lightning SuperTruck was a testament to the power of collaboration. STARD (Stohl Advanced Research and Development) played a crucial role in helping create the 1,600-horsepower truck. SuperTruck was also equipped with top-of-the-line Sparco racing harnesses and safety equipment and bespoke Pirelli P-Zero tires, ensuring its stability on the challenging mountain roads.
“To achieve this amazing feat was no small effort,” said Sriram Pakkam, Formula 1 & high-performance EV manager, Ford Performance Motorsports. “This was a true team effort across the board from our super-talented aerodynamicists to our powertrain specialists. We also had to work as a team to sweat the details such as keeping the weight down while maximizing the downforce and I think the team did a fantastic job.”
