Motorsports Hype: Ken Gushi To Wheel Scion FR-S Up Pikes Peak
Ever since Ken Gushi joined the Toyota/Scion family they have picked the young driver as their pilot for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. For the last few years Gushi has wheeled a specially prepped Lexus IS-F up the hill but this year it has been announced that Ken will drive an FR-S built by GReddy Performance in the Time Attack 1 Division. I am unsure if the FR-S in question is Gushi’s Formula Drift FR-S re-purposed or perhaps Gushi’s first FR-S with the flat boxster engine. Either way, It is definitely an FR-S that is going up the hill with a new suspension package and with an engine tuned to 500hp and 480ft-lbs of torque! Will “The Gush” and his FR-S have what it takes to break some records at the infamous peak this year? We will find out this coming weekend! In the meantime scroll down for pics and the official press release from Scion.
Press Release:
TORRANCE, Calif., (June 23, 2014) – Veteran racer Ken Gushi knows the Scion FR-S. He also knows the demanding 156-turn race course that climbs Pikes Peak. Gushi will bring his experiences together driving the GReddy Racing Scion FR-S in the 92nd annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 29. Best known as a top drifting competitor, Gushi won the 2013 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Exhibition Auto Class driving a Lexus ISF CCS-R. This year he’ll drive a 2013 FR-S in the Time Attack 1 Division for production-based two- and four-wheel drive vehicles. This is the second appearance of the FR-S at the event.“No race on earth is quite like the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, and I can’t wait to conquer it in a car I love: the Scion FR-S,” Gushi said. “Every turn of this course requires the best performance out of the driver and vehicle, and racing fans will love what they see.”The 12.42-mile race in the Colorado Rocky Mountains finishes at the 14,115-foot summit, where drivers and vehicles contend with thin air and high winds. To prepare for the course, the GReddy Racing team has retuned the suspension of the FR-S race car and added new performance and safety components. As modified, the engine produces 500 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque.“The highly competitive Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will showcase Ken Gushi’s renowned racing skills and the enhanced performance capabilities of the FR-S,” said Landy Joe, Scion auto shows and special events manager. “Scion Racing is thrilled to compete in this iconic event again this year and let our fans experience a ‘Race to the Clouds’ with the FR-S.”For more information about the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, visit www.ppihc.com. For videos and interviews with Gushi after the race, visit www.scionracing.com.
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