To dare to engage in something that defies death and stretches the realm of possibility is an endeavor that is seldom approached, even by the brave, and something that demonstrates a level of fervor that most will not have the privilege to witness in their lives. It should come as no surprise, however, that RDS Automotive Group and David Donohue, have engaged in exactly that, and when RDS, had the opportunity to support David and the calling that holds such a sentimental place in his life, it seemed like a no-brainer. So to kick off the decade, the Auto Group took on an astonishing venture in the field of American racing. At the 2020 Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb by GranTurismo, RDS had teamed up with BBI Autosport, Yokohama, Porsche Colorado Springs, as well as various other generous sponsors in an exhilarating pursuit of victory. As expected, The role played by RDS Automotive Group at the hill climb this past year was a considerable one. The type of vehicle that was purchased and provided by RDS was a stripped-out Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport, with bold and aggressive aero-features on the exterior of the car, and is nearly impossible to miss considering the striking yellow livery clothing the vehicle’s body, which has been a trend of the cars that Dave has raced with for the past few years.
The sacrifice was as great as the dream. Since the beginning of August, David spent most of the month 1,700 miles westward preparing for the climb, away from the comfort of 
his family, job, and home. The journey for him began specifically when he had flown to Colorado on the 5th of August to test the car that he would later be driving in one of the most death-defying races across the nation. It was a composition of learning the automobile, and how it drove, as well as identifying exactly what needed to be tuned. Once the initial testing came to a completion, David returned to his home for nearly a week, during which he spent time with loved ones, and returned to work at Porsche of the Main Line. While David’s recess was in session, the car went to BBI Autosport, in California, for tuning. There it was modified with aeroparts, brakes, and other performance tunes. After race modifications had been added, the car was brought to smaller racetracks in California and Colorado to test out the adaptations. The team had thereafter been testing the Porsche's performance in Pueblo, Colorado, about an hour south of the racetrack, which is in Colorado Springs. The practice location then transferred directly to Pikes Peak, starting on Tuesday, the 25th of August, in preparation for race day, which took place on Sunday, the 30th.
his family, job, and home. The journey for him began specifically when he had flown to Colorado on the 5th of August to test the car that he would later be driving in one of the most death-defying races across the nation. It was a composition of learning the automobile, and how it drove, as well as identifying exactly what needed to be tuned. Once the initial testing came to a completion, David returned to his home for nearly a week, during which he spent time with loved ones, and returned to work at Porsche of the Main Line. While David’s recess was in session, the car went to BBI Autosport, in California, for tuning. There it was modified with aeroparts, brakes, and other performance tunes. After race modifications had been added, the car was brought to smaller racetracks in California and Colorado to test out the adaptations. The team had thereafter been testing the Porsche's performance in Pueblo, Colorado, about an hour south of the racetrack, which is in Colorado Springs. The practice location then transferred directly to Pikes Peak, starting on Tuesday, the 25th of August, in preparation for race day, which took place on Sunday, the 30th.A direct source from RDS was stationed at the scene of the action, and had been communicating exhilarating progress reports along the way, which set the basis for optimistic and aspirational predictions about what race day would bring. “The practices have been going great,” was a vivid message relayed back from the source, as they described the headway and current standings of David throughout the month. The official practices started Tuesday, the 25th of August, at the top of the mountain, where David Donohue was consistently recording times that were 4-5 seconds faster than his nearest opponent. The following day, the drivers took on the middle of the mountain, followed closely by practice on Thursday, when the bottom of the mountain became the place of proving grounds one last official time before the race on Sunday. Dave Donner, another driver in Donohue’s class, was driving a Porsche GT2 RS Clubsport as well, which acted as an equalizer amongst all of the intensity, and allowed the Daves to prove their aptitude as drivers. Jeff Zwart, an 8-time Pikes Peak champion made the attendance list this year as well, driving a Porsche 935, although even that had not been an obstacle for RDS and Porsche of the Main Line's David Donohue throughout practices and qualifying. A meager 3m55.942s was Donohue’s official qualifying finish time, which pioneered the way well ahead of Jeff Zwart’s 4m09.122s finish time, thus having foreshadowed an optimistic outlook of what race day would bring.
And the pattern continued. As the sun crept up and over the skyline early on Sunday the ice at the top of the mountain had melted away. The morning possessed a sort of bold vitality and the skies opened up for the 11:00a.m. start time. The excitement of both the racers as well as those spectating, crescendoed to this climactic unveiling of skill, practice, and passion. When it was David Donohue’s time to exhibit his capabilities, there was no hesitation. Needless to say, the race was off to a fantastic start. The bond between car and driver in that very moment was a symphonic dynamic. When David had entered Glen Cove between minute 3 and 4 of the race, the tides had suddenly turned. Glen Cove is a threshold between practice locations, and drivers did not have the opportunity to learn the stretch of track in practice the way they needed to drive it during the race. While in practice, Glen Cove was a place of intense from-the-halt acceleration and powering through the turn, whereas during the race, the Cove demanded aggressive deceleration and acute cornering. This led to complications with the physics of the turn, resulting in a series of rapid corrections by Donohue in an effort to preserve the vehicle and his frontward standing in the race, although the track had a different outcome in mind. Through the chaos, however, with Dave's aptitude as a driver, as well as the integrity of the Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport and the Yokohama tires that it wore, the vehicle was brought to safety in George’s Corner, a nearby area of the track.
While the outcome of the race may not have been what was initially desired, there was nevertheless a level of brilliance demonstrated by Dave Donohue and RDS. It is said that behind every cloud is a silver lining, and this was certainly no exception to that. The amount of character, sportsmanship, dedication, and perseverance delivered has set a bar that people from all walks of life should strive to meet. There have been no setbacks along this journey, only opportunity and motivation. We look forward to the challenges that await us, and plan to use the momentum from this obstacle to propel us into the future with an increasingly growing vigour. The inspiration of the endeavor at large ties directly back to the maxim of RDS Auto Group, The Standard is Excellence.
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