1.04 secs seperates Monster Tajima from the PikesPeak 10 Minute Barrier in the Suzuki

[Motominded]

July 21st 2008 is the big day!

Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima has been coming to Pikes Peak for almost 20 years. He has used many crazy cars in order to attack the record up the mountain.

Back in '89 Suzuki sent its first car to Pikes Peak, but it wasn't until 92 that
Nobuhiro 'Monster' Tajima made his first trip up the mountain in a twin engine Cultus, then came the Escudo (GT2 made world famous) and in 07 the record breaking XL7!

1994 Cultus Twin Engine

1996 Escudo V6 turbo

2006 Grand Vitara V6 turbo

2007 XL7 V6 turbo

After 16 years of trying, Tajima got the Record with a time of 10:01.41.

So 2008, he will go for 9:59 or better and a prize of $25,000 if successful.

Here's some vid of last years run.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=nM6qz_JvGoY

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

I say he doesn't do it.

 

[Motominded]

I say he doesn't do it.

id say the biggest factor against him is the weather. Years ago, they could only go half way up the mountain because of the series rain so obviously the record was to far away but i still think his track knowledge, experience, and equipment are there to take it.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

He just beat the record last year. Millen didn't manage to do it either after trying for several years.

 

[-Fred-]

Millen did it on way more gravel than he did, too. Not taking anything from Tajima, but tarmac is faster than gravel...

 

[superberkut]

id say the biggest factor against him is the weather. Years ago, they could only go half way up the mountain because of the series rain so obviously the record was to far away but i still think his track knowledge, experience, and equipment are there to take it.

Agreed.

He may have the best car yet backing him for his next run... if Suzuki sticks with their current design philosophies. Is ther some sort of table or website recording his results?

 

[hellnback]

In New Zealand we had Pikes Peaks sister event running near Queenstown, a roughly 13km climb from about 1400ft to about 5100ft with 17 hairpins, originally called "Goldrush" it became known as 'Race to the Sky' it ran from 1998-2007, and Tajima always brought the Vitara/Escudo in it's various new yearly form. Millen brought along his Celica originally before using a Tundra, highly modified.

I went to this event in the first three years (98-00) during these years the event was blessed by several USA competitors, Dave Donners single seater, Ryan's Freightliner (at the time).

We could go up to the cars and look at some very cool machinery. As I was doing this I got to talking with one of the American competitors support crew and we got to talking about the difference of this hill as opposed to Pikes Peak.

When I mentioned it's was a pity that Millen couldn't break 10mins in the Tacoma, he scoffed and said Rod could do it 'anytime' he wanted and that he was sandbagging it. The reason he wasn't breaking the 10mins was because Toyota's backing/funding of the programme would stop because what else was there to achieve? 9mins was impossible!

End the end Toyota lost patience and as a result Rod Millen hasn't had a serious tilt at it since.

It would be interesting if he was to dust that Tacoma off this year to get there first, just because he can/could.

 

[Motominded]

In New Zealand we had Pikes Peaks sister event running near Queenstown, a roughly 13km climb from about 1400ft to about 5100ft with 17 hairpins, originally called "Goldrush" it became known as 'Race to the Sky' it ran from 1998-2007, and Tajima always brought the Vitara/Escudo in it's various new yearly form. Millen brought along his Celica originally before using a Tundra, highly modified.

I went to this event in the first three years (98-00) during these years the event was blessed by several USA competitors, Dave Donners single seater, Ryan's Freightliner (at the time).

We could go up to the cars and look at some very cool machinery. As I was doing this I got to talking with one of the American competitors support crew and we got to talking about the difference of this hill as opposed to Pikes Peak.

When I mentioned it's was a pity that Millen couldn't break 10mins in the Tacoma, he scoffed and said Rod could do it 'anytime' he wanted and that he was sandbagging it. The reason he wasn't breaking the 10mins was because Toyota's backing/funding of the programme would stop because what else was there to achieve? 9mins was impossible!

End the end Toyota lost patience and as a result Rod Millen hasn't had a serious tilt at it since.

It would be interesting if he was to dust that Tacoma off this year to get there first, just because he can/could.

Interesting, I think the only thing Rodf's Celica/Tacoma duo are up tp nowadays is waiting for the Goodwood Hill climb. I know last week he brought the Celica and i see it has had the body work revised.

 

[MagpieRacer]

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080720/FREE/659246876/1065

Didnt beat the record. 10.18

 

[EA11R]

I don't know about the XL7, but the Escudo is the Grand Vitara. It's just a matter of where you go, they're different names for the same SUV, and I think they're -in this case- different stickers on the same racecar.

Unless I'm mistaken... Am I?