As Zach Lumdsen prepares for his fourth appearance at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, the Colorado native is balancing a busy season that includes both GT4 America competition and one of motorsports’ most demanding events.

Competing for Colorado Motorsports in a BMW M4 GT4 EVO, Lumdsen enters this year’s Race to the Clouds with experience on the mountain but a new platform underneath him.

“This is going to be the fourth Pikes Peak I have done in my career,” Lumdsen said. “The first time we did it was back in 2020. We did it again in 2021, took a couple-year hiatus, and then came back last year in 2025 and did it. Our running joke is that every single time we’ve done it, the course has gotten shortened. The first year we did the full course. The second year, it got stopped at Devil’s Playground. Last year, it got stopped just after Glen Cove. So, this year I’m just going to say it’s about the qualifying run, but that’s just a joke I have going.”

The opportunity is especially meaningful for Lumdsen given his Colorado roots and the chance to race close to home.

“It’s a new car and a new platform for me,” Lumdsen said. “It’s nice that it’s a local race for us. I’m local to Colorado. I’m a little bit north of Pikes Peak, a little over an hour away, so it’s not too much of a haul to get down there. But I’m excited and looking forward to it. I still have a lot to learn with the new platform. I’m still relatively new in this GT4 series, but I’ve been able to do a lot with it so far.”

Preparing for Pikes Peak is unlike any traditional sports car race weekend. Success often begins months before competitors ever arrive at the mountain.

“The biggest thing when it comes to preparation is being able to study and prepare yourself for the course before you even get out there, which for me entails putting it on the sim and driving it,” Lumdsen said. “I get on iRacing, download the Pikes Peak map, and drive it as much as I possibly can to start memorizing the course. Beyond that, there’s a lot of preparation for the car because it’s typically set up for track racing, but this isn’t a track. You have to drive it way differently than an actual racetrack and treat it differently as well. So it’s really the mental preparation going into it, as well as some mechanical preparation, getting the car set up.”

While GT4 America competition has provided valuable seat time, Lumdsen admits much of what works at a permanent road course doesn’t necessarily apply on the mountain.

“Honestly, most of it just goes out the window once you hit the mountain because it’s so different,” Lumdsen said. “For the most part, your lines and braking points still matter, but you also have to be very careful getting on the gas in some of these corners because, typically, at these GT4 events you’re running slicks in warmer weather with warmer track temperatures. Whereas here on the mountain, you don’t have any of that. You don’t have slicks, you have cold temperatures, and you have cold pavement temperatures. That really affects it.”

He continued:

“As well, some of these hairpin corners have a weird, steep incline to them that really makes it difficult for the car. You have to approach them differently, almost at full steering lock. Basically, what I’ve learned through GT4 racing is tough to apply completely to Pikes Peak. Like I said, it’s just a whole different monster on the mountain.”

One of the biggest changes for Lumdsen this season has been adapting from all-wheel-drive machinery to the rear-wheel-drive BMW M4 GT4 EVO.

“Our previous platform for running Pikes Peak has been Mitsubishi Evo Xs, which are all-wheel-drive platforms versus a rear-wheel-drive platform,” Lumdsen said. “That all-wheel-drive platform acts more like a safety net than the rear-wheel-drive platform. With the rear-wheel-drive platform, you really have to drive it more sensitively and respond to the feedback the car is giving you, if that makes sense.”

“You can’t just throw something at the car and expect it to do what you want because it’s most likely not going to. You have to be careful rolling onto the throttle so you don’t spin out. You have to be really mindful of your cornering. We don’t have a huge amount of aero on these things, so there can be a lot of understeer as well. It’s been a huge learning curve getting into these cars, and I still have a lot to learn.”

Altitude is another challenge unique to Pikes Peak, but Lumdsen says being a Colorado native helps.

“Being a native, I’ve really been able to acclimate to the altitude very well, so it’s not an issue getting up to 14,000 feet for me,” Lumdsen said. “I know for some people who come from lower elevations, it can definitely be a struggle.”

The BMW platform, however, has exceeded expectations in the thin air.

“Believe it or not, we pretty much had full power all the way to the top of the mountain,” Lumdsen said. “In years past, when we ran the Evo platform, they said you’re going to lose, I want to say, 10 percent or more power by the time you get to the top of the mountain. On top of that, you’re going to be struggling with heating issues.”

“But man, this BMW M4 platform is a beast out there. It can take a lot, and it did not have any issues going up the steep inclines or dealing with the lack of air. It was still able to push full power, so it was great.”

When asked what section of the mountain demands the most respect, Lumdsen quickly pointed to the upper portion of the course.

“If I had to pick one section, I would probably say the upper section from Devil’s Playground to the finish,” he said. “It’s fast, there are no guardrails, and there are a lot of bumps. If you’re not prepared, you might be going off the side of the mountain. It’s pretty demanding up there.”

Beyond Pikes Peak, Lumdsen continues to develop in GT4 America, where he and co-driver Chris Wilson remain in the championship hunt.

“It’s been a huge learning curve doing all this GT4 racing,” Lumdsen said. “Each event we’ve done so far this year has shown steady progression. Right now we’re sitting fourth in points in our class, and only one point separates us from both third and fifth. It’s a pretty tight championship battle right now.”

“Our goal is to try to come away with a third-place finish in the championship this season, if not second or first. I’d like to keep my expectations realistic, though.”

As for Pikes Peak, Lumdsen’s goals remain simple.

“Number one, the biggest thing is just finishing,” Lumdsen said. “Having a good, clean race, finishing the event, and having a great time. I think those are the most important things. Obviously, I want to do my best and try my hardest, but at the end of the day it’s also about having fun and getting across that finish line.”

Looking ahead, Lumdsen hopes his current opportunities continue to open doors.

“Over the next few years, I think the big goal would be trying to get into IMSA,” Lumdsen said. “Like everybody else, one of the dreams is to race at Le Mans someday. We’ll see what happens. It would be cool even just to get over to Europe and race.”

For now, however, his focus remains fixed on one goal — making another successful run to the summit of Pikes Peak.