📰 Auto News Marcus Gronholm to attempt pikes peak record this weekend

[IDAFC21]

Gronholm set for his Pikes Peak debut

Former World Rally Champion Marcus Gronholm is gearing up for his first attempt at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado, USA, this Sunday (19 July).

Alongside co-driver Timo Alanne, Gronholm, 41, will drive a supercharged, four-wheel drive, 800 horsepower Ford Fiesta prepared by the Swedish Rallycross team Olsberg Motor Sport Evolution.

A second Olsberg car will be driven by the team’s owner and four-time Swedish rally champion Andreas Eriksson, 35, and his co-driver Per Ola Svensson. Together they will attempt to be the first team to break the 10-minute mark over the 12.4-mile, 156-turn asphalt and gravel course.

The existing record - 10min 01.41sec - was set in 2007 by former Suzuki World Rally Team boss, Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ Tajima driving a 3.6 litre twin turbo Suzuki XL-7. Tajima will be back again this year in his Suzuki Sport machine.

if anyone can do it...

follow the link for a Q&A interview

http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=101&id=5523

Click to read more...

 

[Poopshinanigans]

Those PPHC cars are fucking nuts, and the drivers are crazier. Doing that course has to be comparable to doing The 'Ring.

 

[IDAFC21]

I just hope i can find some good videos of his attempt this weekend

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

my friend who just moved out there said pikes peak was kind of scary just driving up and down it normally. trying to go as fast as possible is just plain nuts. cant wait to drive up it myself next month!

 

[IDAFC21]

scary? lil bit..yeah. damn thing STARTS at over 9k feet, and goes all the way up to 14k. 156 turns, many of them resulting in a quick journey to the bottom of the mountain if youre not careful. shits bananas

 

[Primalzer]

It took 13 years for Rod Millen's 1994 Pikes Peak run to be toppled by Nobuhiro Tajima in 2007. And when Tajima set a new record of 10:01.408 in the Suzuki XL7 Hill Climb Special, there were doubts that time could ever be eclipsed. This weekend, those doubts could be put to rest by Mach 2 Racing and its specially-prepared Ford RS200.

Partnering with Avon Tires, the Essex-based motorsports firm has created the ultimate rally-bred Ford, packing a new turbo that boosts output to 950 hp, and then, for good measure, includes a 70-liter nitrous oxide tank to deliver another 200 hp for a total of 1,150 hp.

Manning the helm is ex-British Rallycross Champion, Mark Rennison, who maintains that the Pikes Peak-prepped RS200 could break the ten-minute mark over the 12-mile, 156-turn course. "If everything on the day goes right and the weather conditions are good beating the 10-minute barrier shouldn't be a problem," Rennison says in the release (after the jump), "But strange things happen at Pikes Peak, it's a unique event." To say the least. Expect the RS200's performance and the rest of the competitor's to be reported on over the weekend.

I think my money will be on these guys..... 1,150hp?!?!

 

[Smokinhot]

thats nuts

 

[IDAFC21]

lets see. current record is 10:1.41

i just loaded Dirt up cuz i forgot it has the full pikes peak course on it, and I just did it in... 10:1.86!!!





In a standard rally impreza..... methinks the game times are not quite true to real life. Still fun as hell to drive tho

 

[Poopshinanigans]

wasn't there a push this year to pave the whole road instead of having it partial gravel?

 

[Primalzer]

The 2009 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is in the books. Reigning king of the hill Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima again took top honors in the unlimited class but failed to break his own record with the new Suzuki SX4 hill-climb special. In fact, he fell 14 seconds shy of his record 2007 run with a 10:15.368. He did manage to beat Marcus Gronholm and Timo Alanne in one of Ford's Rallycross Fiestas, which only managed an 11:28.963 as it crossed the line with its right rear tire in flames.

One of two categories that did see records broken was the 2WD Time Attack for production-based cars. Here, Rhys Millen found that the confidence he gained from his practice runs earlier in the week was not misplaced. In his 17th run at Pikes Peak, Millen covered the 12.4 mile course to the 14,110-foot summit in 12 minutes, 9.397 seconds. His Hyundai Genesis Coupe crossed the line with its rear tires worn down to the steel belts, but at least they weren't burning.

The other record set was in the Motorcycle quad 450 class, where Michael Coburn covered the course on his Honda 450 in 12 minutes, 18.858 seconds.

Wow, if you weren't crazy enough to just drive up as fast as possible in a car, for the bat shit crazy they have the motorcycle class, and the 450's are only a few seconds off the cars.....

I didn't realize there were so many different classes!! Some of these people have to be effing out of their minds!! 1200+ cc bikes?! Sidecar racing?! I HAVE to go to and see this race sometime in my life!

http://www.ppihc.com/content.aspx?tabid=2&contentid=165

 

[IDAFC21]

yeah, its nuts. if its got wheels, someone will try and run it up the peak. haha. too bad gronholm couldnt get a better time, but hes never done pikes peak before, so its understandable...hope this isnt his last appearance there!

 

[asainchris]

Wow, if you weren't crazy enough to just drive up as fast as possible in a car, for the bat shit crazy they have the motorcycle class, and the 450's are only a few seconds off the cars.....

I didn't realize there were so many different classes!! Some of these people have to be effing out of their minds!! 1200+ cc bikes?! Sidecar racing?! I HAVE to go to and see this race sometime in my life!

http://www.ppihc.com/content.aspx?tabid=2&contentid=165

They also have semi truck

 

[IDAFC21]

Well this explains gronholms lackluster time. Looks like he'll back next year for another go at least

Turbo ruins Gronholm's peak performance

Former World Rally Champion Marcus Gronholm has indicated that he will return to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 2010 after a turbo problem at this weekend's event robbed him of the chance to fight for victory.

Alongside co-driver Timo Alanne, Gronholm, 41, drove a four-wheel drive, 800 horsepower Ford Fiesta at the event, dubbed 'the race to the clouds' because of its high altitude finish line 14,110 feet above sea level.

After two encouraging practice sessions on Thursday and Friday, Gronholm's car was fitted with a fresh engine before Sunday race when the Finn was bidding to become the first person to complete the 19.99km hill in less than 10 minutes.

But although he was satisfied with his driving and the handling of the Fiesta, a turbo failure five kilometres before the finish meant he crossed the line in a time of 11min 28.963sec, which put him second in the race's unlimited class.

“I think we have to come back next year,” Gronholm said at the finish. “We can do much better.”

The even was won by former Suzuki World Rally Team principal Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima, who stopped the clock in 10min 15.368sec in his 3.6 litre twin turbo Suzuki XL-7.

The Japanese driver, 59, said loose dirt and low traction on the early section of the course had cost him his chance of breaking the 10-minute barrier, or beating his own course record of 10min 01.41sec. “Frustrating,” he said at the finish line. "I still have a job to do.”

British driver Mark Rennison finished third in the unlimited class, posting a time of 12min 11.561sec in his privately run Ford RS200.

Andreas Eriksson failed to complete the race in his own Ford Fiesta - which was identical to Gronholm's. The Swede crashed off the road in Engineers Corner in the lower section of the track. Neither Eriksson nor his co-driver Per Ola Svensson was injured. It marked the end of a disappointing event for Eriksson who rolled his car into a ditch during Thursday's practice session.

http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=101&id=5534