Paul Dallenbach – First Pikes Peak Test – Unlimited Car

It is that time of year again and after a full winter of getting our Pikes Peak Unlimited car ready, we rolled out the car for our first shake down Wednesday and Thursday. There is always those “pit in your stomach” type of feelings and you just hope that all of the hard work and dedication you put into the car pays off by not having any catastrophic failures and that the car is fast.

This car was first built in 91. There maybe 3 or 4 things that are still on the car. We have changed the car every year. It set the record in 93 and ran until 99. I then took some time off and the car sat. We pulled it out in 2003 and won the next 3 years. My thinking is we never come back with the same combo, if so, you will just go the same speed. This year we made the biggest change after being tired of being beat.

Wednesday we put the car on the chassy dyno.  WOW!  938 horsepower to the wheels at the lowest boost settings!  So far, so good. We were ready to head out on the track.

The next day, Thursday, we took it to the track at PPIR just south of Colorado Springs.  It is a reminder of why we are working so hard, when you can see Pikes Peak in the background – seemingly almost watching your every move.   With Pikes Peak in the background, I took the car for the first, real track test.

New Engine package is amazing, 1000 + Hp and the car is still very drivable. Man it gets from Point A to Point B fast!

I have never driving a car with this much power!  I was happy to find the car drivable and the Continental tires held up great.

Banks Turbocharging has come on with full support and had an engineer at the test. Without all of the support of our team, none of this would be possible and I am glad to have one of the best teams out there.

It is also great to have the continued sponsorship from Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que.  Help out a fellow Pikes Peak racer and go have dinner at the nearest Famous Dave’s.  Tell them I sent you!!

Everyone left the test with a big smile.  It was a good day.  Pikes Peak is just around the corner and it will be here before we know it.

We have a little work to do on the gear box and will have to run out to LA to pick up the other car that just got back from New Zealand, to raid the gear box for parts.

Can’t wait for the first test on the hill June 4 & 5.

Paul Dallenbach