Monster Tajima Has Record-Breaking Run

Monster Tajima Has Record-Breaking Run At Pikes Peak Hillclimb

A Suzuki has become the first car to better the magic ten minute barrier on the famous Pike Peak hillclimb near Colorado Springs.

For the sixth successive year Nobuhiro Tajima has won the annual climb to the sky on the desolate North American mountain, this time shattering his own record of 10 minutes 1.41 seconds also set in a Suzuki in 2007.

Tajima, who is nick named Monster, piloted his much modified Suzuki SX4 hillclimb special up the 20 kilometres course in an astounding 9 minutes 51.278 seconds to again claim overall honours in the fiercely contested high speed competition.

The four wheel drive Suzuki finished 17.96 seconds in front of New Zealander Rhys Millen in a Red Bull Hyundai Genesis.

By next year, the hillclimb road will be fully sealed, leaving the 2011 event as the last to include a five kilometre stretch of gravel road.

Tajima had a special reason for setting the fastest time this year. He said he wanted to win for stricken Japan.The 60-year-old Japanese driver reckoned his people’s spirits needed uplifting after the disastrous March earthquake and he hoped a win on America’s summit would cheer them up.

What was also important to Tajima was proving to the world the strength of Japan. “I wanted to show the world the Japanese spirit - that Japan will come back even stronger,” he said.

As a boy, Tajima saw a picture of a racing car driver standing at the finish line atop Pikes Peak and vowed one day to race up the mountain.

Pikes Peak is the second oldest major motor sporting event in the United States, with 2011 the 89th running of the international hillclimb.

With its 156 corners, the tough and dangerous road climbs 1,439 metres (4,721 feet) from a height of 2,862 metres (9,390 feet), and competitors faced wind gusts this year.

While the ten minute barrier had previously seemed unattainable, Monster said prior to the event that his main goal was to beat his earlier record rather than being the first driver to complete the run in less than ten minutes.

Tajima, a regular visitor to New Zealand and a top driver in the Central Otago international hillclimb, first drove at Pikes Peak in 1988. He first won the Colorado event in 1993, was second in 1995, and since 2006 has maintained a winning streak.

Further modifications had been made to the SX4 for the June 26 contest. While the car retained the distinctive front-end looks of the production SX4, the appearance was dominated by large front and rear spoilers.

In addition to improved aerodynamics, changes had also been made to the suspension and spring rates. Falken produced a special set of tyres fitted to HRE forged monoblock wheels for Monster’s Suzuki.

Tajima displayed superb control throughout his record-breaking run, taming the fierce power of the 3.1-litre twin-turbocharged V6-engined, 678 kW (910 horsepower) Suzuki. He has upheld his reputation as king of Pikes Peak.

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