Lia Block announced Thursday that she will pilot the Hoonipigaus Porsche race car up Pikes Peak on June 25 in a tribute run dedicated to her dad, Ken Block, who died in January. The famous pink Porsche was piloted by Ken last year but failed to take part in the race after it broke during practice. The fire-breathing, 1,400-horsepower all-wheel-drive machine suffered an engine failure and could not be repaired in time to qualify on the hill. Since then, Lia, who is 16 years old, has competed in several events honoring her father, including the 100 Acre Wood Rally in Salem, Missouri, where she finished 9th overall with co-driver Rhianon Gelsomino, whose husband, Alex, co-drove with Ken.
Hoonipigasus is the creation of the Blocks’ Hoonigan Industries, which partnered with Huntington Beach, California’s BBi Autosport and Mobil One to build the car. The racer is an homage to the famous Porsche 917/20 “Pink Pig” that famously raced in the 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans. In addition to the eyepopping power numbers, the car features extreme aerodynamics to create more than 5,000 pounds of downforce in the sub-2,400-pound racer. The power comes from a twin-turbo 4.0-liter flat-six paired to a six-speed sequential gearbox and GPS-activated height adjustable suspension.
The challenge ahead of Lia is considerable. The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is one of North America’s most grueling at more than 12 miles long, finishing at more than 14,000 feet above sea level. The thin air at that altitude strains engines to create enough power (hence most internal-combustion engines use forced induction) and downforce to stick the car to paved road all the way to the top. Lia said she wouldn’t compete in a timed run for the 2023 event but could consider a competition run at the famed course at some point later.
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