A Record Breaking Day by RacingOnTheRocks
CASCADE - Japanese racing superstar Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima broke the course record Saturday, July 21, 2007 in the 85th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The theme for this year’s Hill Climb was “Break the Record” and Tajima did just that by clocking a time of 10:01:408 besting Rob Millen’s 13 year old record time of 10:04:06 by less than three seconds.
This historic race, which began in 1916, was first won by Rea Lentz with a time of 20:55:40. Lentz won the race with a home built Romano Demon racer powered by a 125 HP V-8 402 cid Curtis airplane engine.
Racing a custom-built 2007 Suzuki XL7, Tajima reached the summit with speeds topping out at 127 mph.
Tajima’s new goal… 9:59 in 2008!
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, also known as the “Race to the Clouds” is the highest motor racing event in the world with the finish line at the mountain’s summit of 14,110 feet. Now in its 85th year, this Colorado institution is the second-oldest sanctioned auto race in the United States, behind the Indianapolis 500.
The 12.4-mile course starts at 9,400 feet, already sapping strength from human lungs and high-powered engines, and rises to 14,110 feet up Pikes Peak Highway, a hair-pin switchback road that zigzags through 156 punishing turns with no guardrails. Miss a turn such as the “Bottomless Pit” at 12, 750 feet and you’re likely to fall 6,000 feet and unlikely to survive.
This part paved and part dirt road has a maximum uphill grade of 10.5% and an average uphill grade of 7%.
Featuring on average 150 competitors and a variety of classes of cars, trucks, motorcycles, and quads, the Hill Climb and has been won by such racing legends as Mario Andretti, Al Unser, and Bobby Unser.
Colorado’s own Leonard Vahsholtz claimed his 18th title Saturday in his 31st and final competition Hill Climb with a personal-best time of 11:30:53 in the Pikes Peak Open division.
He goes out as the winningest driver in Hill Climb history.
Clint Vahsholtz, Leonard’s son, suffered mechanical problems at 10,900 feet and did not finish. He had won the Super Stock Car division for 11 consecutive years, however that streak ended Saturday. This was Clint’s first DNF at the Hill Climb.
Racing on a backup motor after his engine blew during practice earlier in the week, Bobby Regester of Colorado Springs took the Super Stock Car title setting a new record time of 11:46:75.
Paul Dallenbach reclaimed the Open Wheel division title after being edged out by his brother, NASCAR commentator and race car driver Wally Dallenbach, Jr., last year.
Other race winners included:
Randy Schranz (Exhibition Car/Truck); Ryan Arciero (HPSS); Rhys Millen (Time Attack 2wd); Nathan Conley (Time Attack 4wd); Mike Childress (Pro Truck set new record 13:50:465); Todd Cook (claimed his 4th Mini Sprint title); Paul Thede (Motorcycle/Quad Exhibition); David Hennessy (Motorcycle Sidecar); Eddie Mulder (Motorcycle Vintage set new record 13:23:250); Steven Tutt (Motorcycle Quad 450 set new record 12:55:347); Chuck Lee (Motorcycle 250 CC set new record 12:42:736); Greg Chicoine (Motorcycle 450 CC); Michael Ell (Motorcycle Quad 500); Scott Huffman (Motorcycle Supermoto); Davey Durelle (Motorcycle 750 CC set new record 11:41:756); Gary Trachy (Motorcycle 1200 CC).