Tajima And Suzuki Make Record-breaking Run

Tajima And Suzuki Make Record-breaking Run At Pikes Peak Hillclimb

Veteran Japanese racing driver Nobuhiro Tajima has put Suzuki into the records books with a shattering display in the United States of America.

Tajima - who is nicknamed Monster for his outstanding motor sport achievements - won the recent Pikes Peak international hill climb in Colorado Springs, driving a specially modified Suzuki XL7.

In the 85th running of the world classic event, Tajima established an outright record for the testing hill, shattering the previous best record that had been held by New Zealander Rod Millen in a Toyota for 13 years.

The time of 10 minutes 1.408 seconds was almost three seconds faster than Millen's long-standing record, and has earned Tajima and Suzuki a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

"It's fantastic," said Monster. "I'm very happy. I want to try again and beat the ten minute barrier."

Had it not been for poor weather conditions, Tajima would probably have cracked the magic ten-minute time in his potent Suzuki, which is loosely based on the versatile Grand Vitara Sport Utility Vehicle. He is already making plans to better his newly establish record when he returns for the 2008 event. The 57-year-old president of Suzuki Sport, the motor sport division of the Japanese car maker, is well known to New Zealanders after a record-breaking run in the Race to the Sky hill climb in Central Otago. Tajima won the last Race to the Sky in April 2007 driving; the Grand Vitara based Suzuki, in what was his eighth victory on the gravel road near Queenstown.

Pikes Peak, with its 156 corners, rises to 4,311 metres above sea level, and is the second oldest motor sport event in the USA after the Indianapolis 500.

Tajima won the 2006 Pikes Peak hill climb, despite crashing in practice, and this year was once again the competitor to beat.

The Japanese driver began competing at Pikes Peak in 1988 and today is regarded as "King of the Mountain".

He cut out the first section to Picnic Ground in 1 minute 42.197 seconds, and the second section to Glen Cove in 4 minutes 29.191 seconds. The third section to 16-mile point was achieved in 7 minutes 3.408 seconds before section four to the finish.

Measuring 5,300mm and sitting on a wheelbase of 2,818mm, Monster's Suzuki Special is powered by the four valves per cylinder, double overhead camshaft 3.6-litre V6 engine producing a hefty 740 kW of power at 8,500 rpm, or almost 1,000 brake horsepower.

The dry sump motor, features variable valve technology and twin turbochargers, producing a massive 1,000 Nm of torque at 6,250 rpm.

Drive was through a sequential six-speed gearbox with front and rear hydraulic controlled differential. The Suzuki hill climb special had 370mm ventilated front disc brakes and 350mm solid rear wheel disc brakes, while double wishbone suspension was employed front and rear.

A steel space frame was constructed for the car, with weight reductions including the use of carbon and Kevlar for the cowl, front wing and rear wing.

New aerodynamics increased the down force by 35% over last year's Suzuki Pikes Peak challenger, and the car is fitted with no fewer than three wings.

Eleven-inch wide wheels are fitted with 285/60 series 18-inch diameter Falken S/TZ04 Pikes Peak Special tyres for the hill climb. The car's rear track of 1,610mm is just 10mm narrower than the front track.

Tajima had to tame the huge power of the red, blue, black and white car for the difficult and dangerous road.

The Suzuki weighed just 1,100 kg, giving the vehicle an amazing power-to-weight ratio, and with the driver aboard the weight distribution was a near ideal 53% front and 47% rear.

ENDS

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