Romain Dumas and Ford Racing Crowned King of the Mountain at Pikes Peak  

There are several categories of competitors in the annual Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, but among the category winners, an overall winner emerges. For the 2026 run, that winner was the Super Mustang Mach-E EV demonstrator driven by Romain Dumas. Stivers Ford of South Fayetteville provides some details of this achievement. 

The race consists of a 12.42-mile run up to the 14,445-foot Pikes Peak summit, featuring 156 turns and a 4,725-foot climb. The Mustang Mach-E competed in the new Unlimited Production class, which, true to its name, consists of extremely modified vehicles that still retain a connection to production vehicles. Thus, you can still see the Mustang Mach-E, albeit with large aerodynamic and other modifications. 

Downforce is key to keeping a vehicle planted on the road surface while traveling at high speeds through those turns, but the decreasing density of air at that altitude reduces the effectiveness of aerodynamics, hence the very large size of the rear wing and front air dam. In normal atmospheric conditions, the wing, air dam, and other aerodynamic components can create up to 12,000 pounds of downforce. Ford competed in 2025 with an earlier version of the car, but the run was curtailed by poor weather.  

Of course, unlike internal combustion engines, the thin atmosphere had no negative impact on the Super Mustang Mach-E’s electric drivetrain, which uses three motors to produce more than 1,400 horsepower across all four wheels. A 50-kWh battery supplies power to the motors and supports up to 710 kW of regenerative braking. The system and other modifications were developed by Ford Racing Motorsports and STARD (Stohl  Advanced Research and Development), the Austria-based racing team that has built Ford Fiestas for the World Rallycross Championship series.   

“This is an incredible moment for Ford Racing and the team that delivered the Super Mustang Mach-E after a long, challenging development cycle,” said Nick Kuhajda, Program Supervisor, Ford Racing Demonstrators. “Pikes Peak is unlike any circuit in the world. It demands complete focus from the technical team and tremendous bravery from the driver. Even with a perfect car, weather and track conditions can take the result out of your hands.” 

“After last year’s shortened race, the team returned with countless hours of track and laboratory testing behind it. I am particularly proud of our work in Ford’s new rolling-road wind tunnel. With up to 12,000 pounds of downforce available, understanding aerodynamic performance and balance was critical to giving Romain confidence on the mountain. The Super Mustang Mach-E also became the highest-downforce vehicle tested in the facility, helping prepare the team for Ford Racing’s Hypercar program later this year. I am incredibly proud of the engineers, technicians, and logistics teams who made this victory possible.” 

Of course, it is not just about the car. French racing driver Dumas has won some of the world’s greatest races, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 24 Hours of Spa, the Nürburgring 24 Hours, and the 12 Hours of Sebring. He has been crowned “King of the Mountain,” having won the event overall six times, including a previous win for Ford.   

“I’m really, really happy about this win. We were matching our simulation time or even possibly better, so we squeezed everything out,” said Dumas. “The car was great. Driving Pikes Peak is always a great privilege. We know how risky the race is, how dangerous the race is and how we always are playing with the limits.” 

The Pikes Peak win was especially relevant as Ford celebrates 125 years of racing. It began with Henry Ford himself entering a race in 1901 to prove his engineering abilities. Fifteen years later, Ford entries took part in the first-ever Pikes Peak Hill Climb. 

Obviously, the Super Mustang Mach-E differs significantly from the Mustang Mach-E in Stivers Ford of South Fayetteville’s new-car inventory, but lessons learned from this kind of development build Ford’s knowledge base, providing insight into the design and engineering of future production vehicles, just as past competition engineering has shaped today’s vehicles.  

It may not have 1,400 horsepower or 12,000 pounds of downforce, but the Mustang Mach-E is one of the most exciting and high-performing EVs in its class.  If you would like to experience that kind of performance in your next car, visit Stivers Ford of South Fayetteville for a Mustang Mach-E test drive.