Pikes Peak

Pikes Peak (in the past Pike' S Peak) is a 4.301 meters high mountain, which makes of it the 31e top highest of the State of the Colorado.

History

It was named according to Zebulon Montgommery Pike, lieutenant detached by President Jefferson to determine the new borders in the west. Pike tried the rise of the mountain on November 24th, 1806, but had to turn back because of a blizzard. The first rise was succeeded by Dr. Edwin James and the Major Stephen H. Long, on July 14th, 1820. Major Long tried to name the mountain in homage to Dr. James, but the name of Pikes Peak had already entered the collective conscience and was definitively adopted a few years later.

Pikes Peak Hill Climb

Pikes Peak is especially famous for its hill climb, which is held every year in summer. In 1915, the installation of a road towards the top was undertaken, and a year later, the first " Pikes Peak Hill Climb" was organized. It is the older second Automobile race with the the United States, after the 500 miles of Indianapolis (whose first test took place in 1911). Rea Lentz was the first to register its name with the prize list of the test.

The layout 19,93 km is long and has 156 turns. The departure takes place with 2.865 meters of altitude and finishes 1.400 meters higher, from where its nickname: " The race towards the nuages" (The race to the clouds). The difference of altitude, and thus in pressure of the air, is such, that it notably influences the engine output between the departure and the arrival. While arriving close to the top, the pilots must pay attention not to fall into the ravine which reaches 600 meters with highest (there does not exist any barrier of protection). Because of power of the vehicles, and track which is particularly dusty and slipping, the racing racing cars are equipped with enormous ailerons with before and to the back, to plate them on the ground. These appendices became a kind of signature of the vehicles taking part in this race. Today, the race is divided into about fifteen categories. Motor bike with the car while passing by the quad or the trucks, each vehicle is represented. The most famous category and most spectacular remainder the " category; Unlimited" , where clash monsters of more than 1.000 CH.

The test was made famous thanks to the documentary one of Jean-Louis Mourey entitled " Climb Dance ", putting in scene Ari Vatanen and Peugeot 405 T16 " Pikes Peak". 5 minutes of pure happiness.

It was the time when Audi and Peugeot had fun with " claquer" times. Audi had started in 1985 with Michele Mouton, improving 13 seconds the preceding record with a time of 11 ' 25" 39. The following year, Bobby Unser was given the responsability to go down the record to 11 ' 09" 22. In 1987, large the Walter Röhrl was dispatched to fight against the armada Peugeot and its three 205 Turbo 16. Result, Audi is the first manufacturer to be gone down under the 11 minutes by establishing a new record into 10 ' 47" 85. It is into 1988 that Peugeot will take the changing of Audi, which preferred to be withdrawn after 6 consecutive successes. Ari Vatanen will succeed in beating the time of Röhrl, but of accuracy: 10 ' 47" 22, are 63 hundredths of better only. The following year, Peugeot will sign a second consecutive victory thanks to Robby Unser, but this one will not improve the stopwatch of Vatanen.

The record was again beaten in 1994: at the wheel of its Toyota Celica Turbo, Rod Millen signs a time of 10 ' 04" 06.

July 1st, 2006, Mr. Nobuhiro Tajima, owner of Suzuki Sport, tried to beat the record of Millen at the wheel of Suzuki Sport Large Vitara prepared of 940 ch. Malheureusement the conditions weather obliged the organizers to reduce the course. The stopwatch carried out was 7 minutes and 38 seconds.

The edition 2007 will be the good one for Nobuhiro Tajima. To the wheel of its Suzuki Sport XL7 Hill Climb Special, he finally manages to establish a new record on the complete course with a time of 10 ' 01" 408, thus beating 13 years the old record of Rod Millen for 2,6 seconds.

External bond

Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
Climb Dance on Google Video

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