2022 Overall Winner and Three-Time ‘King Of The Mountain' Britain’s Robin Shute To Campaign GT3 Up The Hill
British firm Venture Engineering have announced the first entry of an Aston Martin race car for the famed Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. A partner team of Aston Martin Racing, the British engineering firm has experience of many racing categories including running cars at the famed Colorado race to the clouds, and their 2023 entry sees Robin Shute at the wheel - the first Briton to win the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and a three-time overall winner.
The contender will be based on the highly-successful Vantage GT3 race car, which itself is based on the critically-acclaimed Vantage road car. Powered by the same 4.0-litre turbocharged V8 engine, optimised by Aston Martin Racing in conjunction with Venture specifically for the challenge of Pikes Peak, additional technical developments will include engine mapping, damper work, an upgraded aero and reduced weight package from existing and development parts, as well as bespoke gearing.
With the 2023 entry in the Time Attack 1 class, and plans to develop the car further into 2024 for a second run in the Unlimited class, the team are nothing but confident in their ability to build a winner.
Famed for its altitude and unforgiving weather conditions, the Pikes Peak course is a true test of both car and driver, with the self-sanctioned event taking place since 1916 - a mere three years after the birth of the Aston Martin brand. The twisting and turning 12.42-mile mountain track consists of over 156 turns and will offer a unique test of the luxury marque’s racing pedigree, which was born out of founder Lionel Martin’s attempt at the eponymous Aston Clinton Hill Climb in 1913.
Andy Williamson, Commercial Director at Venture Engineering says: “We’re excited to push the limits of the incredibly successful Vantage GT3 in a new racing discipline. We also look forward to working with our technical partners over the coming months and years to develop this project into a winning entry.”
Huw Tasker, Head of Aston Martin Partner Racing says: "This is an exciting, adventurous and challenging project that Venture are undertaking and we are looking forward to seeing how it progresses, and to assisting them in achieving their ambitions. It will be great to see Venture take on Pikes Peak in an Aston Martin.”
Robin Shute, Pikes Peak champion says: “It’s an honour to be racing this year with Venture Engineering - it's very special for me to race a car with such storied racing roots back home in the UK. I can't wait to make this Vantage GT3 roar up the mountain!”
This year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb takes place on Sunday, 25 June 2023 in Colorado, USA. Additional updates on the latest team partners, technical developments and more will be distributed over the coming weeks.
About Venture Engineering:
Venture Engineering is a UK based precision engineering and manufacturing specialist based in Witney, in the heart of Motorsport Valley, UK, providing cutting-edge engineering skills and expertise to their clients globally since 2015. Projects range from the design and manufacture of parts for the latest motorsport programs and hypercar projects, to designing and manufacturing prototype components for a green energy storage system – and anything in between. Their dedicated team combines skilled engineers and technicians born out of the highly competitive and fast-moving world of motorsport.
About Aston Martin Racing:
Aston Martin Racing was established in 2004 as a partnership between automobile manufacturer Aston Martin and engineering group Prodrive. The partnership was initially created for the purpose of returning Aston Martin to sports car racing with the DBR9, a heavily modified variant of the Aston Martin DB9. Since the DBR9's racing debut in 2005, Aston Martin Racing has expanded to build a variety of cars available to customers, as well as development of Aston Martin's V12 engine for Le Mans Prototypes.
About Robin Shute:
Born in Norwich, England, Robin grew up in the United Kingdom for the first 23 years of his life. Starting at a very young age, he was already racing radio controlled cars at a national level. Moving onto karts and alpine ski racing throughout his teenage years, he broadened his skill sets to a variety of speed disciplines. Motorsport and competition is very much in his blood, and his father Tony Shute is a renowned development driver and racer. Robin is a three-time overall winner and ‘King of the Mountain’ - winning in 2019, 2021 and 2022 - when he was also presented with the prestigious Segrave Trophy by the Royal Automobile Club for being the first and only British winner of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
About Pikes Peak International Hill Climb:
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, also known as The Race to the Clouds, is an annual hill climb event to the summit of Pikes Peak mountain in Colorado, USA. The track measures 12.42 miles (19.99 km) and has over 156 turns, climbing 4,720 ft (1,440 m) from the start at Mile 7 on Pikes Peak Highway, to the finish at 14,115 ft (4,302 m), on grades averaging 7.2%. It used to consist of both gravel and paved sections, but as of August 2011, the highway is fully paved; as a result, all subsequent events have been run on asphalt from start to finish. The race is self-sanctioned and has taken place since 1916.
