In the world of racing there are few things that test a car and drivers skill and sheer determination more than an endurance race. The 24 hour at Nürburgring is a race that will test the endurance for even the worlds hardest drivers, but for sheer adrenaline nothing can compare to the Pikes Peak hill climb. This hill climb is a race that is so intense it was featured in Gran Tourismo as a special stage and is one of the most grueling rally stages ever. This races tests cars to the limit not just what the cars drivers but the various components like the wheel hub and bearing assembly.
The race is so hard because it is a straight hill climb up one of the most difficult roads on the planet. Every year more and more of the road is being paved but the sheer altitude of the road makes it very difficult for the pavers to operate. In fact there is only about a 2 month window where the temperature ever gets high enough for paving to happen. About the paved area is a gravel and mud section that shifts and changes by the minute. Some drivers go just to finish the track and others go to break world records.
Even though when it comes to sports cars the last name we all think of is Suzuki they are able to make some amazing hill climb vehicles. This year was no exception, they built what they called a SX4 hill climb special but this car has nothing in common with the SX4 that is on the local lot. The Hill Climb edition is a twin turbo V6 mid-engine tube frame race car boasting all-wheel drive, in fact the only thing that makes it a “SX4” are the headlight stickers on the front. Think NASCAR Ford Taurus…yeah not a Taurus in anyway but more of a Taurus “theme”.
The goal this year for many of the teams was to get up the beastly mountain in less than 10 min. While most of the teams fell short of this due to mechanical issues the Suzuki team blew that 10 min goal out of the water with a 9:51. This is nothing short of the fastest time ever posted in a Pikes Peak event. The team of Rhys Millen fell short of the 10 min goal due to brake failure but Rhys was able to limp his car over line 7 seconds short of the goal. All in all a disappointing weekend for many of the teams but to honest it is a huge accomplishment just to make it to the top.
