Dodd set for PPIHC

Marcus Dodd in Rallycross Hyundai Veloster to Pikes Peak summit.

Rhys Millen Racing has announced in the USA that five times British Rally Champion and current Global Rallycross Championship competitor Marcus Dodd will join both Kiwis, Millen Jr. and Millen Sr. to storm up to the 4301m high summit of the Pikes Peak in Colorado during the 89th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, to be held on June 26. Dodd is set to drive one of the two 500+bhp Hyundai Veloster 4×4 the California based team is using in US Rallycross events of this year and has been entered for the ‘Pikes Peak Open Class’. The current record holder of the ‘Open Class’ is Swedish Rallycross veteran Per Eklund, who drove a Saab 9-3 Viggen 4×4 in the year 2000 edition in 11:21:58m to the mountain top.

Thereby, Hyundai is represented in three different categories of the famous Hillclimb event this year. While Rhys Millen has once again set his focus on breaking the 10 Minutes barrier with his 750+bhp Hyundai PM580 prototype of the ‘Unlimited Class’, his father Rod Millen makes a return to the legendary Rocky Mountains hill in a 550+bhp Hyundai Genesis Coupé for the ‘Time Attack 2WD Class’, after holding the PPIHC overall record between 1994 and 2007. In 1994 Millen Sr. powered an 850+bhp Toyota Celica Turbo 4×4 in 10:04:06m over the 20km distance with no less than 156 corners. Rod Millen’s 13 years lasting record was bettered in 2007 by Japanese Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima, hurling an 1000+bhp Suzuki XL7 PPIHC Special in 10:01:408m [current overall record] to the chequered flag.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.