How could you not be excited about the 2011 Pikes Peak Hill Climb? Every time you turn around there’s new history being made and talked about and the race is still more than two months away. Just in the unlimited class we have the return of Monster, even after the unspeakable natural tragedy still unfolding in his home country of Japan. The two wheel drive underdog, Paul Dallenbach, armed this year with 500 more horsepower than he’s ever brought before. That’s right, 500 MORE. If you think he won’t be a threat to capture the overall record then you’re just kidding yourself. We have fan-favorite Rhys Millen pushing the envelope of design and technology with his Daytona Prototype inspired RMR PM580. Dubbed “The Batmobile” at last year’s race, this car gives us all a clear look at the future of Pikes Peak. Rhys is working diligently to restore his family name to the top spot in the Pikes Peak record book. And making the giant leap from the Pikes Peak Open Division is Dave Carapetyan. Dave is a bright young driver from Austin, Texas who already has a respectable pedigree on the Hill. Dave has been to the Hill Climb six times, and has made the podium on every occasion and scored three class wins. And he has accomplished all of this before his 23rd birthday. If all that weren’t enough, there are rumors that WRC legend Petter Solberg will be coming to tackle the Hill this year, as well. Each one of these stories, in its own right, is pretty darn interesting. Having ALL of them at one event is downright remarkable. Are we lucky or what? Don’t answer that…it’s a rhetorical.
Like I said, that’s just the unlimited class. In addition to that we have more competitors than ever in the Time Attack class, with sixteen or more. And of course, the usual suspects will be coming back to contest the open wheel, Pikes Peak Open and Super Stock divisions. Oh, and let’s not forget the 100+ Bikes, Quads, and Sidecars making their way to the race this year. Quite possibly the craziest of the crazy, these two wheeled warriors charge off the line, five at a time, and elbow and kick their way up to the summit. Maybe just a hair crazier than that, the quad guys line up three wide at the start. Imagine this; these purpose-built hundred-mile-per-hour machines are 50” wide. This means 150” of quads are fighting for a maximum of 288” of pavement (two 12’ wide lanes) at any given time. And that’s if two of them are fighting for a bad line! Ever seen what happens when two sprint cars come together? The results are similarly destructive when two quads come together. And they don’t have the benefit of a cage to protect them. If you want to know how bad this situation can be, just ask Pikes Peak Pro Quad veterans John Stallworth and Lonnie Henderson who had the misfortune of coming together at nearly 14,000’, just below cog cut. Traveling at an estimated 90mph, John ended up cart wheeling up the straightaway, and Lonnie went over the edge. The racing is always that close, and always that exciting.
For me personally, the Good Ol’ Days are right now. We’ll get to see great new cars, world class drivers and, same as always, a continually changing and unpredictable race environment. Sounds pretty darn good to me. This year our pink hot-rod will come to the Hill with more horsepower, better handling, and a real shot at taking down the GT3 Giant driven by seven-time Pikes Peak class champion Jeff Zwart. With our ultimate goal being to prove that a no-budget chubby guy can still build a car in his garage and compete with some of the best drivers and cars around. It could happen.
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