Acura is headed to the 2026 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, competing with the Integra Type S DE5 race car and leading the field with the Acura MDX Type S as the official pace car.
Two-time Formula Drift champion Dai Yoshihara will be behind the wheel of the Integra Type S DE5, while two-time U.S. Olympian and Team USA Bobsled pilot Kaysha Love drives the official MDX Type S pace vehicle.
Competing in the Time Attack 1 (TA1) division, the Integra Type S DE5 will sport a special Acura 40th anniversary livery. Driven by two-time Formula Drift champion Dai Yoshihara, Acura will try to break the front-wheel-drive course record, previously set in 2018 by Acura engineer and Pikes Peak veteran Nick Robinson with a 500-horsepower Acura TLX.
The 104th Running of the “Race to the Clouds” takes place on June 21.
Full press release below:
U.S. Olympian Kaysha Love to Pilot Official Acura Pace Car for Pikes Peak International Hill Climb; Acura Integra Type S Targeting Record-Setting Run in Race to the Clouds
— TORRANCE, CA
- Two-time U.S. Olympian and Team USA Bobsled pilot Kaysha Love will drive the official pace vehicle – an Acura MDX Type S – to the race summit
- Integra Type S DE5 race car will be raced by Dai Yoshihara and equipped with Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US) developed performance parts
- This is the 16th consecutive year Acura is competing at Pikes Peak
Two-time U.S. Olympian and Team USA Bobsled pilot Kaysha Love will drive an Acura MDX Type S as the official pace car for the 104th Running of the “Race to the Clouds” – The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, presented by Gran Turismo, on June 21.
Acura and Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US) will be striving to set a new course record in an Acura Integra Type S DE5 race car in the highly competitive Time Attack 1 (TA1) division with Pikes Peak class-winner, two-time Formula Drift champion and HRC US driver Dai Yoshihara behind the wheel. Acura seeks to break the front-wheel-drive course record of 10:48.094 – set in 2018 by Acura engineer and Pikes Peak veteran Nick Robinson with a 500-horsepower Acura TLX.
From the Bobsled Track to “America’s Mountain”
With a livery inspired by the red, white and blue of Love’s Team USA Bobsled, the Acura MDX Type S will lead the field on the challenging 156-turn, 12.42-mile mountain course. Hunter Powell—a fellow Team USA bobsledder who competed at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 and Love’s fiancé—will ride shotgun.
Love brings an exciting blend of athletic achievement and passion for performance to this year’s race. In 2020, she transitioned from elite gymnastics and collegiate track to bobsled, making her a push athlete for USA Bobsled/Skeleton. In 2023, she became a pilot and went on to win the Monobob world title in 2025. In Milan, Love recorded a fifth-place finish with a total time of 3:49.71 in the Two-woman Bobsled and a seventh-place finish with a time of 3:59.27 in the women’s Monobob.
Love is an Acura athlete ambassador, and as part of the company’s partnership with USA Bobsled/Skeleton (USABS), she has worked closely with engineers at the Honda Automotive Laboratories of Ohio (HALO) to enhance the performance and speed of her bobsled. Together, Acura and USABS share the hope that advanced engineering, testing and analysis will enable the athletes to achieve faster times and secure podium finishes.
Honda is also the Official Automotive Partner of Team USA, supporting both the United States Olympic and Paralympic teams during Milano Cortina 2026 and the upcoming LA28 Games. Looking ahead to 2028, Honda will continue to support the world’s top athletes as a Founding Partner of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and provide a wide range of Honda and Acura mobility products for use throughout the LA28 Games.
Acura Making 16th Pikes Peak Appearance
Motorsports is a critical proof point of Acura Precision Crafted Performance, including the premium performance brand’s Pikes Peak efforts. This is the 16th consecutive year Acura is competing at Pikes Peak, with the Acura team amassing an impressive 12 first place in-division finishes, over 30 podiums and multiple course records.
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the second oldest motorsports race in America and a longstanding tradition in Colorado Springs. Since 1916, drivers from all over the world race against the clock on the iconic 12.42-mile course featuring 156 turns, climbing from a starting elevation of 9,390 feet to the 14,115-foot summit of Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain.
HRC Performance Parts
HRC US, the North American racing arm for both Honda and Acura, has created a new business to produce authentic HRC Performance Parts for customer use for street, track and off-road applications. Prototypes from its forthcoming line of performance and capability enhancing parts for on-road and off-road applications were showcased at the 2025 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
Southern California-based HRC US has been winning races and championships on and off-road for three decades and is applying this extensive know-how to a new line of authentic performance parts focused on enhancing all elements of the driving experience—engine, suspension and braking performance—along with significant weight savings. As a successful racing brand for decades, HRC US is uniquely positioned to offer parts to retail customers in North America to enhance the performance of their own Honda and Acura vehicles.
Acura MDX Type S
This year’s Pikes Peak Pace Car, the MDX Type S, is the high-performance variant of the Acura MDX, America’s best-selling 3-row luxury SUV of all-time1. Driven by two-time U.S. Olympian and Team USA Bobsled pilot Kaysha Love, the 2026 MDX Type S features a turbocharged V6 engine, torque-vectoring Super Handling All-Wheel Drive™, height adjustable air suspension, performance-tuned adaptive dampers and massive Brembo front brake calipers.
HRC Acura Integra Type S DE5
Developed by HRC US from the production Acura Integra Type S, the Integra Type S DE5 is the latest in a line of highly successful, championship-winning, HRC-developed touring cars, including versions of the 10th generation Honda Civic Si and Type R, and the 11th generation Civic Si FE1.
The Acura Integra Type S DE5 is powered by a modified version of the factory 2.0-liter K20C8 engine. Co-developed by HRC US and HRC Japan, the turbocharged four-cylinder produces in excess of 360hp, which is directed to the wheels via a 6-speed sequential, paddle-shift transmission. To improve efficiency at the extreme altitudes of Pikes Peak, a high volume intake system, charge pipe upgrade kit and lightweight tube and fin intercooler from PRL Motorsports have been fitted, as well as a Borla three-inch exhaust system.
The chassis features HRC US developed suspension and brakes along with sticky Yokohama Advan A005 tires. The purpose-built body shell removes all unneeded street vehicle components – such as soundproofing, underbody coating and seam sealers – and is fitted with a safety roll cage, aerodynamic components and cooling upgrades.
Eligible for competition in multiple racing series and sold directly to racers, the HRC Integra Type S DE5 participates in the top class of SRO TC America racing. It is designed, developed and assembled inside state-of-the-art Honda North American facilities employing groundbreaking technologies in weld, body construction, painting, final assembly and quality confirmation to ensure the highest levels of precision and craftsmanship.
About Acura
Acura is a leading premium auto brand committed to delivering expressive styling, innovative engineering and engaging dynamics, all built on the brand’s Precision Crafted Performance DNA. The Acura lineup consists of four models: the Integra sport sedan, and the ADX, RDX, and MDX sport-utility vehicles. About 85% of Acura vehicles sold in America in 2025 were made in America, using domestic and globally made parts.
More information about Acura is available here: https://acuranews.com/en-US.
About Acura Motorsports
Acura motorsports programs in North America have been integral to the brand since its launch in 1986. Acura Motorsports specialized in the design, development and manufacturing of powertrain, chassis, electronics, and performance parts. The rich legacy of Acura sports car racing includes multiple GT and prototype wins and championships across Camel Lights, the American Le Mans series, SRO, and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition.
In current IMSA competition, Acura swept the 2019, 2020 and 2022 IMSA manufacturer, driver and teams championships. In 2023, Acura made its successful racing debut with the electrified ARX-06 prototype sports car in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and claimed Acura’s third consecutive Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona victory at the Daytona International Speedway. In 2025, the electrified Acura ARX-06 returns with Acura Meyer Shank Racing running the #60 and #93 cars. Honda Racing USA will be strategizing and race engineering the #93 for the first time in the company’s history, while Acura MSR will continue to do the same for the #60 as Acura seeks its first championship title in the electrified era of sports car racing.
https://hondaracing-us.honda.com/
About Honda Racing Corporation USA
Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US), has a rich heritage creating, manufacturing, and supporting Honda Racing and Acura Motorsports customers. From pinnacle racing in INDYCAR and IMSA sports cars to grassroots racing programs, HRC US has amassed over 500 race wins and 60 series championships. HRC US leads all Honda and Acura high-performance racing programs in North America and supports global Formula 1 activities.
HRC US specializes in the in-house design and development of powertrain, chassis, electronics, and performance parts, as well as technical and race support. The company offers parts and race support to Honda and Acura amateur and professional motorsports racers; and is continually expanding its palette of racing programs that make Honda racing products available to all racing styles, from karting and quarter midgets to the highest levels of professional racing. In 2024, HRC US expanded its operations to pursue consumer performance parts, merchandise and historic memorabilia sales.
https://hondaracing-us.honda.com
Important Notice
Although the information included in this press release is accurate as of the date of publication, this information is subject to change at any time without notice. American Honda Motor Co., Inc. assumes no responsibility for updating this information.
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1 Based on Autodata total sales for all three-row luxury SUVs in the industry 1980-2026CYTD April.
[Source: Acura]