How about we all take a look at a blast from the past? The blast that driver Akira Kameyama must have had while driving this 1996 Nissan 400R GTR up Pikes Peak in 1998. A Pikes Peak that at the time was known for banked dirt curves, blue-grooved hairpins and dirt in your teeth.
Photo: Ryan Schnell
The run in the video below was not Akira Kameyama’s first time at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. In 1993 Akira Kameyama ran a previous generation R32 Nissan GTR up Pikes Peak prepared by BEST Motorsports.
The car was ran in the Pikes Peak Open division and competed with the likes of Rod Millen in his “Hyundai Elantra”. That car was mostly a chopped up Mitsubishi Evolution but that’s beside the point.
Photo: Artemis Images
Photo: Katsu Times SHA Co.
Then in 1996 BEST Motorsports returned to Pikes Peak with their all-new Nissan R33 400R GTR. This is the car shown in the video below. Akira Kameyama made it all the way to the top in spectacular fashion during the 1998 race. This “dance in the dirt” is something to marvel at. With a 2.8L RBX-GT2 inline six engine screaming to 8200 rpm its something to listen to over and over too.
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is changing. With the new spectator rules, ridiculously fast speeds, and technological breakthroughs, its an exciting time to be around. That shouldn’t stop us from looking back in time though, because history speaks and moves us in ways one can’t imagine. So over the next couple months leading up to June 29th, expect to see a little more history, a little more fun, and a little more to learn about America’s second oldest motor sports event.
Photo: Artemis Images
