After a dramatic weekend, the Millen family celebrates a dream result 18 years in the making -- the 2012 Pikes Peak Hill Climb champion Rhys Millen stormed up the mountain in an outrageous Hyundai Genesis Coupe with a power output of 700-hp 700 lb.-ft. of torque to attain a record breaking time of just 9:46.16 seconds.
Millen's father, Rod Millen, had held the climb record from 1994-1997 and ever since the record was toppled, it was Rhy's mission, destiny even, to reclaim the title as the Pikes Peak's fastest. After his run, Millen said, "This is just unbelievable. We just competed against the best in the world and beat them."
Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima, a favorite at the climb, was forced to withdraw from the competition after Tajima's race car suffered a burned-out engine.
On the face of it, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is a race against time and the times set by your competitors. However, Pikes Peak is also a race against the track itself. This was the first year that the Pikes Peak Highway was fully paved, dramatically changing many features on the terrain from the year before. What's more, Pikes Peak has the rare ability to also change in just a matter of hours.
Before Rhys Millen prepared his run, French racing driver and Pikes Peak rookie Romain Dumas climbed the mountain in 9:46.18, clinching the record time at Pikes Peak for a mere 10 runs before Millen responded with his time that was but a mere 0.02 seconds quicker. The ultimate foiler? Dumas encountered rainier conditions that prevented him from posting a quicker time.
Upset by the narrow margin and racing conditions, Dumas fumed, "We spend all this money to come for one weekend and it's not fair. I know it's bad to speak like that of a race since I am a newcomer, but it is not fair." Dumas also stated that he will not be returning to the Hill Climb. Sure, wet conditions costed Dumas the win, but to never return to Pikes Peak ever again? Sore loser much?
As for Toyota TMG GmbH, even the rain couldn't rain on the outfit's parade. Toyota racing engineers prepared the Toyota TMG EV P002 Electric class machine that's based on UK's Radical chassis. Powered by two axial-flux motors to crank out 470-hp and 664 lb.-ft. of torque, the P002 completed its ascent in just 10:15.380, shattering the previously set 12:20.084 record.
An exciting event for all, stay tuned in the days ahead as teams prepare press release statements of their own to share personal achievements at one of the oldest racing events in North Amerca and the world.
Finally, no Pikes Peak Hill Climb can do without a little Audi. Check out Audi and Ducati's dual appearance at the Peak in the video below. Enjoy the select images from the climb as well!
[Source: AutoGuide, Sacramento Bee]
