Motorsport insights from Damien Bradley of Team Legacy, as he gears up to take part in The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb 2025.

This year, Damien Bradley of Team Legacy UK, has been one of the few international drivers invited to take part in the The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado, USA. This iconic event will celebrate its 103rd year on the 22nd June, 2025 and Damien will be there taking part with 70 of the best drivers in the world.  We thought we’d catch up with him to find out more about his race aspirations, his car and how he first got started in this amazing sport.

1. Damien could you tell us when you first got started in motorsport? 

Competitively in 2013 in the UK Time Attack Championship in the same car.

2. How long have you been involved in Hillclimbing and why did you choose this form of racing?

Since 2018.  I had been following Steven Darley hillclimbing his Subaru Impreza and I thought he was crazy. The speeds he was doing on such a tiny strip of tarmac were insane. I gave it a go and loved it, the HillClimb community are amazing too. 

3. Have you been involved in any other motorsport?

Yes I won the BARC Speed championship outright  in 2022 which is a mixture of sprinting and hillclimbing, a championship that our very own Chris Berrisford has also won. In 2014 I was runner up in the Club 4wd class of UK Time Attack and I have also completed several circuit races in our BMWs including the famous Birkett 6hr relay at Silverstone Circuit. 

4. Can you tell me a little bit about the car?  Why did you choose this model?

A friend Oliver Breslin (who is sadly no longer with us) had a Legacy and I loved it. An understated version of the very popular Subaru Impreza. The Legacy shared so much with the Impreza in terms of performance and a very capable 4wd system, many of the parts are interchangeable but the Legacy sat under the radar of car thieves and the boys in blue. 

5. How and why did you set up Team Legacy?

Team Legacy was created back in 2013 as a platform to showcase our motorsport achievements with the Legacy. An an individual I always try to stay humble and Team Legacy has allowed me to celebrate our success and to thank everyone that helps on the car. Team Legacy has grown significantly over the last decade and we now run several other cars in association with Team Legacy including some BMW M3s in UK circuit racing. 

6. What was it about The Broadmoor  Pikes Peak International Hill Climb that made you want to take part?

Pikes peak is the most extreme Hill Climb in the world, racing up that mountain will be the ultimate test for both the car and me as a driver. To be one of the very few overseas competitors to receive an invite is such an honour. 

7. How have you prepared the car and who have been your partners?

The car has seen some very significant changes over the last few months. Several items that have been changed were on the “todo” list for a while but I have been so busy competing that it became “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it”. For a trip like Colorado we need everything 100%.

The rollcage was not up to the job so Roelands Motorsport have ripped it all out and installed a complete International/Pikes Peak Specification multipoint cage.  

We have a new bespoke motorsport wiring loom from Relentless Performance that is an absolute work of art. 

The latest GT3/4 Alcon motorsport pedal box has been installed together with a huge 4 pot R5 rear brake kit. 

A new Syvecs Power Distribution unit, new dash, Blink Keypad and wireless steering wheel have been fitted making the Legacy one of the most technically advanced cars on Hillclimbs. 

Paul Blamire has 3d printed a host of parts including a very nice new dash surround, once he’d done with all that he completed a custom calibration of the car,  a base calibration is complete and will be adjusted when we arrive at high altitude in Colorado. Paul also setup all the new components including the new dashboard and keypad controls. 

Steven darley has redone all the plumbing on the car. New HEL Performance brakes lines throughout, new pro-gold oil and fuel lines and everything that could be subjected to high temperatures has been lagged with DEI wrap from Nimbus Motorsport. 

The radiator and intercooler on the car were great for the UK but would be useless at high altitude so we enlisted the help of Allisport and have an all new super efficient radiator and intercooler. The oil cooler ducting has been added, we now have a larger power steering cooler and added a fuel cooler and fan too. 

We plan to run a sustainable Torco T85 fuel in the USA and we hope to encourage others towards sustainable fuels once we return to the UK. ASNU fuel injection have provided much larger secondary injectors (were 750cc now 1300cc) and Radium Engineering a huge fuel tank as we will need approximately 40% more T85 than regular petrol. 

8. What about the logistics invovlved in getting the car to the venue?

That’s been relatively straight forward so far thanks to EM Roger’s vehicle transport. Time is the biggest issue. You don’t know if you’ve been invited until February and the car, spares etc need to be in the container for shipping in April. That’s a tight programme when you want to pretty much start again like we have. 

9. What are you looking forward to the most about the race?

I’m looking forward to taking in the breathtaking views from the mountain, I’m not sure I’ll have a chance to look at it much on race day but we plan a few leisurely runs up in the hire car on public days. Colorado is the unofficial Subaru state of America and we are planing to meet with several Subaru friends that we have met on social media since starting Team Legacy over 10 years ago. 

10 . Have you any other dream hillclimbs? What is next for Team Legacy?

European hills are incredible and that is where we will turn our attentions next. 

Damien Bradley of Team Legacy