The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is a daunting undertaking, with sheer drops and hardscrabble roads underscoring 156 corners for 12.4 miles. Aptly called “The Race to the Clouds,” the hill climb was founded in 1916 by Spencer Penrose, the founder of The Broadmoor Hotel, Pikes Peak Highway and El Pomar Foundation. Since its first event, the PPICH has attracted top racers to the 14,115-foot summit.
Wilton, California native Laura Hayes returned to the 102nd running of the PPIHC on June 23. In her third outing, the 34-year-old rising star and driver for Thunder Bunny Racing completed the climb in a zippy Toyota Supra GT4 EVO. Equipped with a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine and a seven-speed transmission, the sporty Supra proved its worth. Impressively, Hayes not only reached the summit of the gnarly 12.42-mile course but set a record. As of 2024, Hayes owns the record as the fastest woman up the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in the race’s history with a time of 10:20:487.
“I can’t believe it; I am the fastest woman up the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in history!” Hayes shared via Instagram. “I hope today brings so much inspiration to every girl out there who wants to chase their dreams, not just in racing. This is an honor, and I am so proud of the entire team.”
I had the chance to interview Hayes after the race to get insights on her history and racing life. Here’s what she said:
What’s Your Racing History?
I began racing when I was eight years old with the encouragement of my parents, starting in Quarter Midgets and go-karts. Eventually, NASCAR became my dream when I was a teenager, so we moved into oval racing and competed in USAC Sprint Cars and NASCAR Whelen late model stock cars.
Even after success throughout the years, it became very difficult to secure sponsorship, and I thought my racing career had come to an end. But because racing had been my life until I was 20, becoming a driving instructor seemed like a good option. I started working at the BMW Performance Driving School in Greer, SC.
This is where I eventually met many of my current team members at Thunder Bunny Racing, and we formed our modest sportscar team with a Nissan 350Z, which we nicknamed the Thunder Bunny. We started seeing success in our chosen endurance racing endeavors and people began asking if they could race with us. The Nissans turned into BMWs, and now that has switched over to the Toyota Supra GT4 platform.
What Is Thunder Bunny Racing?
TBR was formed in 2016 by a group of friends who just loved to go racing. We scraped up our money and split the weekend’s costs by five or six ways; it was extremely modest beginnings. We’d tow the race car on a flatbed behind a Penske truck, and the car was worked on out of a garage. Automotive tech students from a high school were part of our crew (and many of them are now current employees of TBR). Once we started to podium and win races, people noticed and wanted to race under our banner.
We have since moved into a 25,000 square foot facility in Greenville, SC. We service and maintain our customers’ race cars and provide them with an arrive-and-drive experience, so all they have to do is show up at the race track with their gear, ready to have fun. We provide the crew, transportation, hospitality, and driver coaching, and I’m responsible for overseeing the motorsports side of our business. I also drive one of the race trailers to the tracks; help manage the race weekend; coach, cook for the crew; and drive one of our Supra GT4s. We won the World Racing League National Championship in 2023 in the GT0 division, which is primarily made up of GT4 cars.
In addition to our racing program, we also work on European and exotic cars, performing anything from general maintenance to performance upgrades, we maintain customer’s track day cars, and we’ll soon be opening a members-only club that includes access to a lounge, top-of-the-line race simulators and high end vehicle storage.
Why The Toyota Supra?
When the Pikes Peak Hill Climb announced the new GT4 division, I knew this was going to be the perfect place for us to compete. We had already been racing the Supra in WRL for the past year; as a team, we’re familiar with the car and I’ve spent countless hours behind the wheel. The class’s rules require that the car stays in homologated spec, and every car has to run the Yokohama Advan A052 tire. They brought in one of the US’s top engineers to make sure each of the cars were going to have an equal balance of performance. All of this makes each of the cars equal, putting a lot of emphasis on driver ability.
We took our WRL Toyota Supra straight to Pikes Peak and it performed very well. The altitude did bring up some issues that you never experience at sea level but nonetheless, the competition was fierce. And the Mobil1 brand helped deliver the performance and protection needed at the extremes of this course by providing its lubricant technology on the climb up the mountain. In qualifying, only .01 seconds separated myself and pole position (I was second), and another few tenths back to P3. On Sunday, I drove a good run (it wasn’t perfect!) but it was enough to win the GT4 division by less than three seconds, and 14th overall.
I love driving the Supra, it’s so much fun, plus everyone loves a Supra! It was certainly a crowd favorite.
Did You Have Any Idea That You’d Set A Record At Pike's Peak?
Not really, I knew there was a chance but I wasn’t in the fastest car amongst the female drivers. It was a tough day for many competitors on the mountain; as they say, the mountain decides. A lot of things needed to go right and for me, and they mostly did. I knew I could be the fastest woman in a GT4 but didn’t think I had a shot at being the fastest woman up the mountain. I drove the best that I could, and it worked out.
What Does This Mean To You Personally?
I think this was a special day for women in motorsports. This is an exciting time in the sport with more and more women climbing the competitive ladder and winning races. There were six women on the mountain this year, a record, and we’re out here proving what we’re capable of. Growing up, there weren’t many female mentors or heroes for me to look up to. Honestly, I looked up to Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt.
I hope I and other women out there can be that hero to a young girl who wants to do what all the boys are doing. It’s not without sacrifice, extreme commitment, sprinkle in some failure, it’s going to happen, but if you believe and truly set your mind to it, dreams can come true. And mine did on Sunday.
Also, I just love everything this race has to offer. There are so many unique challenges you don’t experience anywhere else. Once you take off from the crowd, and you drive under the start line, it’s just you, your car, the mountain. You put up the best fight you can because the mountain is always going to fight back. The last two times I did this race, there’s been ice, snow, and crazy fog. The technology behind Mobil 1 lubricants is designed to handle the extreme conditions of racing, and I am thrilled to help showcase the power of the Mobil 1 brand and products throughout the 12.42-mile course. So I finally got a chance on a clear day to prove what I could do. That was a big relief. Even so, it wasn’t a perfect run, I know I could’ve been faster, and that’s what keeps me coming back year after year.
What Has Been The Biggest Challenge For You In Your Racing Career To Date?
Securing sponsorship. Racing is an extremely expensive sport and there are so many hidden expenses that add up quickly. I don’t get paid to do this either. Finding sponsors is a full-time job in itself, on top of my current full-time job, and trying to live a balanced and healthy life. I do not come from a wealthy family, so getting this far has been a tremendous amount of hard work and sacrifice. I’ve been lucky that I’ve surrounded myself with an incredible group of people who are not only my team but are my friends and have become family. We believe in one another and with that, we’ve been able to achieve some really cool things. Without their support, none of this is possible.
There have been people I’ve met along the way, and they’ve helped provide opportunity and open doors, and I will never forget them. This year, I had the support of reputable brands like Mobil 1 and Yokohama who were instrumental in giving me this chance, and the Shift Up Now Foundation, which is a non-profit organization that provides women support, knowledge, and connections in the industry to move forward.
What Is Your Advice For Girls Who Want To Race Cars Like You Do?
If you dedicate yourself to something you love, there’s no reason you can’t achieve big things. Outside of the race car, I’m honestly not the most confident human being ever. Inside of the race car, you’re not going to stop me. Most of the work happens outside of the car, so that was an area I really had to work on. One day, I decided to take a chance on myself because I knew I could do it, and since then, I’ve become more comfortable putting myself up to a challenge that’s uncomfortable. So take that chance, because you’ll regret it when you don’t. And be yourself.
Recently, the Mobil 1 brand also announced a female-focused driving program which is dedicated to supporting female drivers, breaking down barriers and ensuring that talented women have a platform to excel in the world of motorsports. I am so proud to work with brands who continue to create opportunities that allow for a more diverse and inclusive group of drivers.
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