Suzuki
rally legend Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ Tajima has
reinforced his position as King of the Mountain with another
dominant performance at the world famous Pikes Peak International
Hillclimb in Colorado.
Driving a modified SX4 race car complete
with twin-turbo V6, Monster won the event for the fifth successive
year and was never truly challenged by his rivals, winning
the unlimited division in 10 minutes and 11.49 seconds and
almost thirty seconds clear of his nearest challenger.
Monster has been a fixture at the world famous event since
1988 and has now won the unlimited division a record ten times – all
behind the wheel of Suzuki vehicles.
After exhaustive tests in
his wind facility, Monster’s
2010 SX4-based special underwent significant aerodynamic changes
to adapt to the modified road surfaces for the 2010 race. Further
development of his turbocharged 2.7-litre V6 engine saw the
SX4 special produce a phenomenal 679 kW of power and 887 Nm
of torque.
The race is run on a 19.9 kilometre-long course with
156 turns that begins at an altitude of 2,860 metres and finishes
at the 4,300 metre summit of Pikes Peak. The dramatic rise
in altitude robs engines of 30 per cent of their power at the
summit and competitors employ special oxygen breathing apparatus
to combat the changes in air pressure.
A total of 152 drivers
competed in the 2010 Pikes Peak challenge, spread out among
18 classes. Monster holds the all-time course record with a
time of 10 minutes 1.41 seconds set in 2007. |
