News>> Hat-trick For Suzuki At Pikes-peak.

Suzuki WRC Team Manager, Nobuhiro 'Monster' Tajima won the 86th Pikes-Peak International hillclimb yesterday, completing a Hat Trick in the Suzuki Sport race car.  Monster had hoped to break under the 10 minute barrier, but his final time of 10:18.250 was 40 seconds quicker of 2nd place and 'Open wheel' class winner, Paul Dallenbach, brother of NASCAR driver Wally.

Monster's race car is a long way from a standard Suzuki XL7! Powered by a 3.5 Litre V6 1000bhp engine!

As the drivers reach the top, Approximately 40% of that horsepower is lost, due to Altitude. Every type of wing and canard known to man appears on the car!

Pikes-Peace is a legendary event and brings out all types of machinery from classic muscle to the mad extreme Suzuki. Past winners have included Ari Vatanen, Per Eklund, Rod MillenThis year there was no less than 14 Red Flags, with several drivers being hospitalised!

'Monster' (shown above, celebrating his 2007 win) will be back next year to try and break the 10 minute barrier.

 

Photos: Suzuki Sport, AutoWeek

- Andy Blackmore

http://www.suzukisport.com/hillclimb/e/report/raceday/index.html

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080721/FREE/745165157/1065

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1

That front end squirrel scoop is really a nice piece. Nice coverage.

2

Andy...AWESOME coverage....I've been waiting for you guys to bring up this car.....simply amazing.

I remember last year Tajima-san got closer to the 10 min. mark. (I think it was something like 10 min. and 8 sec......or something like that).

I wonder why it got worse....

Somebody correct me....but I think this Suzuki is powered by a C32B1....anyone?

3

lol...this brings back memories of playing gran turismo 2. great coverage andy, its cool knowing suzuki is still doing the hill climb.

4

I think its cool the WRC Team Manager actually has the balls to do this!

5

Thanks for the coverage, truly another one of those events I have to witness before I die. Do you have any more photos?

6

Great coverage. You guys are always all over the most eclectic and interesting aspects of motorsports. I'm surprised that this event isn't of interest to more people--it's historic and so hardcore. This event, the M1 anniversary race--not a mention anywhere else. Just some crap about two chicks fighting on other auto-blogs. Glad I can trust Speedhunters to bring the important stories.

7

I'm glad you did this writeup Andy! Too bad John or I couldn't come to this event to get some more dramatic photos... might have been more of a win for the site than the event I attended this weekend (although it would have been about 20x more expensive to go there and get the photos)... I think it's too bad that the Pike's Peak trophy is soo small! Winning an event like that deserves a HUMONGOUS trophy I think! I mean, when people win 1st Place at an Import Showoff or HIN, they get at least a 6ft trophy, and that's just for a carshow! I think Monster deserves more than that little piece of crystal!



I wonder how Rhys Millen did, he was supposed to be there with his Solstice...

8

We had a microphone in Monster's car a couple of years back when we were doing audio research for DiRT. He went off the course and slid down a pretty steep slope and into a tree. I learnt some Japanese cursewords when we played back the recording. =) The guy is a legend! It took him a fair while to take the record of Rhys' dad, Rod.

Also, have you guys ever seen footage of Mike Ryan driving his single axle truck up the course? His record is 12:43.67 Mike is also a legend cos he drove the truck in the Terminator 2 chase sequence in the Storm Drains!

9

Im totally with Antonio on this one, that trophy looks like something they'd give you for simply competing in the event, hopefully they made up for it with prize money? Winning this event is quite an achievement!

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