Monstrous time set by ‘Monster’

Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ Tajima breaks his 2007 Pikes Peak record as well as the magic 10 Minutes barrier.

On Sunday June 26 the 89th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) took place in the Rocky Mountains near Denver, Colorado, in the USA. At least ever since Rod Millen from New Zealand in 1994 used a four-wheel driven, mid-engined 850+bhp Toyota Celica prototype to set an overall record mark of 10:04.06 Minutes for the famous 20 kilometre long hillclimb event there has been a lot of talks and bets about who would be the first driver ever to break the magic 10 Minutes time barrier.

However, in 1994 everything turned out to be almost perfect, the in those days for 100% by gravel covered ‘Pikes Peak Highway’ had a tarmac alike surface on offer and the very good weather conditions did not hamper the competitors on their way up to the summit at 4301 metres above sea level. Millen’s record time stood for no less than 13 years, while from 2001 on the road became partly sealed by more and more tarmac sections.

In 2007 Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ Tajima from Japan had his great day at the Pikes Peak, he powered his all-wheel driven 1000+bhp Suzuki XL7 prototype in a new overall record time of 10:01.408 Minutes up the hill, thereby missing the magic mark by about one and a half seconds only. Tajima is a true Pikes Peak addict, who took part in all PPIHC editions since 1988, to make himself the ‘King of the Mountain’ in 2007 and is now the man to beat.

While the tarmac:gravel surface ratio over the last couple of years remained at 50:50 the 2011 event went over about 75% tarmac and a rest of 25% gravel and it is claimed that before the 2012 ‘Race To The Clouds’ will be on the entire track must be sealed due to court decisions. Although ‘Monster’ and several other leading Pikes Peak competitors claim that the new asphalt sections are not helpful to set faster times during last Sunday’s record attempt that man from Japan was able to break his own 2007 mark as well as to become the first ever and only person to race the mountain in under 10 Minutes. Tajima’s new record time with his Suzuki SX4 ‘Pikes Peak’ prototype is 09:51.278 Minutes, while his runner-up Kiwi Rhys Millen needed 10:09.242m and Frenchman Jean-Philippe Dayraut, who claimed the third place, made it in 10:17.707m to the summit.

• FINAL CAR RESULTS
• Unlimited: 1. Nobuhiro Tajima (J) Suzuki SX4 ‘Pikes Peak’ – 09:51.278m (new record)
• Open Wheel: 1. Spencer Steele (USA) 1994 Wells Coyote – 10:42.366m
• Super Stock Car: 1. Clint Vahsholtz (USA) 2006 Ford Mustang – 10:55.603m (new record)
• Time Attack 2WD: 1. Rod Millen (NZ) Hyundai Genesis Coupé – 11:04.912m (new record)
• Pikes Peak Open: 1. Randy Schranz (USA) 2011 Shell Valley Cobra – 11:55.132m
• Time Attack 4WD: 1. Brianne Corn (USA) Subaru Impreza GD – 11:56.422m

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