And in spectacular fashion, Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima delivered yet again, shattering his previous mark in the Unlimited Class by over 10 seconds and setting a new record for the fastest climb up Pikes Peak.
The Japanese legend raced up the mountain in a blistering time of 9:51.278, easily eclipsing his previous record time of 10:01.408, which he set back in 2007. Taking his Suzuki SX4 Hill Climb Special up Pikes Peak, Tajima was virtually flawless in his ascent becoming the very first man to hit a sub 10-minute time in one of the most legendary races in the world.
What makes the record even more special was that Tajima had to battle through an overheating engine to achieve his record-breaking time.
A hearty whoop goes out to "Monster" Tajima for raising the bar yet again at Pikes Peak. Goes without saying that when talking about this event in the future, his name will go down in the record books as one of the best ever.
Check out the video of Tajima’s record-breaking ascent!
We don’t know if British magazine, CAR, saw it coming, but they have released a video stacking the McLaren MP4-12C supercar against many of its rivals just in time for the announcement that the supercar has been sold out for the next three years.
So, is the McLaren MP4-12C all that it’s cracked up to be, or would people be better off purchasing one of the other supercars tested? Watch the video to see what a professional thinks, then tell us what you think in the comments section below.
In Chevrolet’s latest Track to Street series, Corvette Racing takes us along on a hot lap around the LeMans track. This is the very same track where driver Oliver Gavin received first place in the GTE Pro division of the 24h endurance race a little over a week ago.
In addition to the lap around the track, Chevrolet has also provided a second video featuring in depth interviews with drivers like Richard Westbrook as they describe what it’s like to be on and off the track. This video came out before the team’s win at LeMans, but after watching the Gavin make the quick lap around LeMans, it seemed necessary to go into the the team’s preparations for the 24 hour long event.
Let’s just say that we envy the thrill of being a part of such a famous event, but are in awe of the endurance these drivers have to have in order to complete the race.
The 89th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is just around the corner and we couldn’t think of a better to prepare for the race than to read up on the racers ready to take on the challenge and take a close look at the Pikes Peak course.
The annual ’Race to the Clouds’ challenges automobiles and motorcycles alike to navigate their way up Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This course is about 12.42 miles long with 156 turns for drivers to brave during their ascent on grades averaging 7%. The race begins at 9,390 feet and ends at the mountain’s 14,110-foot summit above Colorado Springs for a total climb of 4,720 ft.
This year, 194 racers from ten different countries will test their driving skills on the dirt and paved roads of Pikes Peak with the hopes of getting top billing in their respective classes. The most anticipated race will be that of the Unlimited Class where there are no restrictions and some of the fastest machines on the planet are put to the test to see which one can go up the mountain faster. Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima, Rhys Millen, and Paul Dallenbach are just a few of the racers in this class that are prepared to go balls to the wall to break the 10-minute barrier and the standing record of 10:01.408 achieved by Tajima back in 2007.
Will they succeed? Only time will tell, but prepare yourself for the race by taking a look at the course in detail. Who knows, maybe it’ll inspire a trip to Colorado to watch the action live.
Check back with us soon for the next installment of our Car Infographics series!
The 89th installment of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb opens this weekend, which means that now seems like an appropriate time to provide a preview of what is arguably the world’s most famous hill climbing competition.
Represented by drivers and racers from ten different countries - France, Italy, Japan, Spain, New Zealand, Sweden, Mexico, Australia, Great Britain and the USA - the 2011 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will feature 194 different racers, all of which are looking to win their respective classes and break some records in the process.
The festivities start on June 24th in downtown Colorado with the Fan Fest, a free event that is expected to gather about 35,000 fans from 5:00-10:00 pm. As part of the festivities, fans will get the chance to see all the participants with their racers, as well as enjoy live music, motorcycle jumps, the Denver Broncos cheerleaders, and, of course, a chili cook-off.
Even Hollywood star and car aficionado, Paul Walker, will be on-hand for the event as he was tapped to be the driver of the Porsche 911 Pace Car. Riding shotgun beside Walker for the ceremonial lap will be Colorado Springs, Mayor Steve Bach.
Check out our preview of the 2011 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb after the jump.
