Acura & Katherine Legge Return to Pikes Peak with Hopes of a Record-Setting Run; HRC Prototype Integra to Pace the 103rd Hill Climb Running – AutoMart Canada

• Following her rookie debut in 2024, Katherine Legge returns with goal of setting a new front-wheel-drive record
• U.S. Olympic speed skater Rusty Smith will pilot the official pace vehicle – an Integra Type S HRC Prototype
• Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US) developed performance parts featured on both vehicles, leveraging the technical knowledge and expertise of HRC race engineers worldwide

Acura and Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US) today announced a return to “America’s Mountain” for the 103rd running of The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, presented by Gran Turismo, on June 22. Acura and HRC US will enter the highly competitive Time Attack 1 (TA1) division with the Integra Type S DE5 race car. Driving the #93 Integra is INDYCAR and IMSA veteran Katherine Legge who also returns to the ”Race to the Clouds” following a top-five finish in the TA1 category in 2024. Her rookie outing resulted in a time of 10:51.359, just a few seconds shy of the current front-wheel-drive record of 10:48.094 – set by Acura engineer and Pikes Peak veteran Nick Robinson with a 500-horsepower TLX in 2018.

“It was an honor to compete in Pikes Peak for the first time in 2024, as I had always dreamt of being among the famous drivers who have tackled the mountain,” said Katherine Legge, driver of the #93 Acura Integra Type S DE5. “At Pikes Peak, you’re always competing against yourself, the mountain and the other drivers. It’s my goal to leave my own legacy, setting the front-wheel drive record in the Integra Type S DE5.”

Additionally, Acura will supply the official pace car for the 103rd running of America’s longest running hill climb. The custom-wrapped Indy Yellow Acura Integra Type S HRC Prototype will pace the field on the challenging 156-turn, 12.42-mile mountain course, demonstrating a new line of HRC Performance Parts being developed by championship-winning HRC race engineers. Behind the wheel will be U.S. Olympic bronze-medalist speed skater, Rusty Smith.

Rusty Smith has made Team USA three times, competing in short track at the Olympic Winter Games Nagano 1998, Salt Lake City 2002, and Turin 2006. On the podium, Smith captured a 500-meter bronze medal in 2002 and a relay bronze medal alongside his teammates in 2006. Smith also shares a passion for high-performance Honda and Acura vehicles; he owns several enthusiast models from each brand, including a rare first-generation Acura NSX-T finished in Spa Yellow with a Vivid Yellow interior.

Smith’s stint in the Integra Type S HRC Prototype follows Honda’s announcement as a Founding Partner of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Honda will also serve as the Official Automotive Partner of Team USA, supporting the United States Olympic and Paralympic Teams during the LA28 Games and upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. LA28 plans for Honda and Acura vehicles to act as the official pace vehicles for all LA28 endurance events.

Motorsports, including the premium performance brand’s Pikes Peak efforts, is a critical component of Acura Precision Crafted Performance. This is the 15th 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.

Known as the Race to the Clouds, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado is one of America’s longest running motorsports competitions. Since 1916, drivers from all over the world race against the clock, in a wide variety of vehicles and from multiple motorsports disciplines, as they take on the grueling mountain course, starting at 9,390 feet and climbing to the 14,115-foot summit.

HRC Performance Parts
Based on strong interest generated by the Acura Integra Type S HRC Prototype, which was revealed at Monterey Car Week in August 2024, HRC announced that it will create a new business to produce authentic performance parts for customer use for street, track and off-road applications at the 2024 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 Integra Type S DE5
Eligible for competition in multiple racing series and sold directly to racers, HRC’s Integra Type S DE5 is designed, developed, and assembled inside Honda’s state-of-the-art 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.

HRC developed the DE5 from the production Acura Integra Type S premium sports compact, and it 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 competition version of the Integra Type S, which participates in the top class of SRO TC America racing where it won six races in its debut season, is powered by a modified version of the factory 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder K20C8 engine. The racing version of the engine, co-developed by HRC US and HRC Japan, produces in excess of 360hp. That power is then directed to the wheels via a 6-speed sequential, paddle-shift transmission to HRC US developed suspension and brakes.

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.

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 two sport sedans, the Integra and TLX, and four sport-utility vehicles, the first-ever ADX, RDX, MDX and all-electric ZDX. High-performance Type S variants further demonstrate the virtues of Acura Precision Crafted Performance.

More information about Acura is available here:

About Acura Motorsports
Acura motorsports programs in North America have been integral to the brand since its launch in 1986. 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.

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 since its founding in 1993 as Honda Performance Development (HPD). In January 2024, HPD became HRC US, combining with HRC Japan to strengthen the company’s overall motorsports capabilities. From pinnacle racing in INDYCAR and IMSA sports cars to commercial racing programs, HRC US leads all Honda and Acura high-performance racing programs in North America and will be involved in Formula One power unit development and race support related to the next phase of Honda starting in 2026.

HRC US specializes in the design and development of powertrain, chassis, electronics, and performance parts, as well as technical and race support. The company also 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.

About LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games
The LA28 Games will mark Los Angeles’ third time hosting the Olympic Games, previously hosting in 1984 and 1932, and first time to host the Paralympic Games. Los Angeles will host the world’s most elite athletes in 2028 as it welcomes Paralympians and Olympians from around the world to compete on the biggest stage in sports. The LA28 Games are independently operated by a privately funded, nonprofit organization, with revenue from corporate partners, licensing agreements, hospitality and ticketing programs, and a significant contribution from the International Olympic Committee.

About Team USA
Team USA is the world’s largest and most diverse team of athletes from across the United States who compete at the Olympic, Paralympic, Youth Olympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games. The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, founded in 1894, serves as the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States and is responsible for protecting, supporting and empowering Team USA athletes. For more information, visit TeamUSA.org.

# # #