Kern Racing - 2011 Edition
Just to clarify....Rod Millen is still Master of PIKes Peak ! Sorry guys Tajima is fast no doubt...BUT 50/50 gravel/tarmac is nothing like a 100% gravel coarse. SOOOO
All Gravel record is 10:04,1994 with a Toyota truck 2.3L Dohc Turbo all carbon body 900hp
50/50 Tajima @ 9:51 with close to 1000hp if not more! 2011
No disrespect to Tajima and his efforts...Truly a fast car with an insane time no doubt.
I bet you the current contestants would come hardly close to Millens time on a 100% gravel track. Plus the kicker is the record was made in 94' ahhhh technology or skills is getting watered down....oh wait it's the track also...damn might as well call it the Pikes Peak go cart track now....sorry guys...I have been attending this event for over 25 years and it is going to crap faster and faster every year. Tarmac FTL
Only thing semi-cool possibly coming from the 100% tarmac track will be the possibity of Formula 1 or Indy cars shooting up the mountain....fingers crossed lol.
ps. Rod is still breaking class records in his 60's what a effing pimp.
End rant:
All Gravel record is 10:04,1994 with a Toyota truck 2.3L Dohc Turbo all carbon body 900hp
50/50 Tajima @ 9:51 with close to 1000hp if not more! 2011
No disrespect to Tajima and his efforts...Truly a fast car with an insane time no doubt.
I bet you the current contestants would come hardly close to Millens time on a 100% gravel track. Plus the kicker is the record was made in 94' ahhhh technology or skills is getting watered down....oh wait it's the track also...damn might as well call it the Pikes Peak go cart track now....sorry guys...I have been attending this event for over 25 years and it is going to crap faster and faster every year. Tarmac FTL
Only thing semi-cool possibly coming from the 100% tarmac track will be the possibity of Formula 1 or Indy cars shooting up the mountain....fingers crossed lol.
ps. Rod is still breaking class records in his 60's what a effing pimp.
End rant:
Agreed that Rod was king of the dirt, but one of the things you're leaving out of the comparison is the fact that something happened in the mid 90s that made the road fast. I'm guessing it was a combination of weather patterns and the extensive prep that went into the road. As a side note, ever notice that there was an open-wheel car in 1994 that ran a 10:05? I find it interesting that the OW cars haven't ever even come close to those times in the last 15 years.
Looking at CHCA records (all dirt hillclimbs in Colorado), there's still a few open-wheel class records that date from 1994 & 1995. I wasn't racing or spectating back then so I can't comment, but word is from those that have been attending that long, PP in 1994 & 1995 was blue-grooved from the startline to the finish. Combine that with the fact that the 'useable road' back then was 8-10' wider and you've actually got a better racing surface than we've got now.
Ask me how I know - all it takes is one guy to ditch hook a corner and spray gravel onto the tarmac...or really gusty winds to do the same, and you end up with catastrophic results. 100% agreed the road is different now, but in my eyes its more dangerous to commit 100% to the corners, as if you end up encountering dirt/dust on the road, you're airborne!
The road this year was more like 75/25, but I will concede the reason for the faster times was certainly because over the last 5 years, the top dirt section was always dusty/loose and you just couldn't put the power down or slow down effectively.
Regarding the F1 stuff, I've talked with Rhys about those types of cars the last few years up on the hill, and I think you'll be surprised how 'not fast' those cars may be compared to the AWD stuff. IIRC a F1 car is slower 0-60 than a rally car due to traction issues, and many of those FI/LeMans type cars have a turning radius that would need to be tightened up to navigate the "Ws." Will they be fast...sure thing! Will they be able to keep up with Millen's AWD thing...time will tell. Rumor is Monster is coming back with a completely new car for 2012!
Dave
Looking at CHCA records (all dirt hillclimbs in Colorado), there's still a few open-wheel class records that date from 1994 & 1995. I wasn't racing or spectating back then so I can't comment, but word is from those that have been attending that long, PP in 1994 & 1995 was blue-grooved from the startline to the finish. Combine that with the fact that the 'useable road' back then was 8-10' wider and you've actually got a better racing surface than we've got now.
Ask me how I know - all it takes is one guy to ditch hook a corner and spray gravel onto the tarmac...or really gusty winds to do the same, and you end up with catastrophic results. 100% agreed the road is different now, but in my eyes its more dangerous to commit 100% to the corners, as if you end up encountering dirt/dust on the road, you're airborne!
The road this year was more like 75/25, but I will concede the reason for the faster times was certainly because over the last 5 years, the top dirt section was always dusty/loose and you just couldn't put the power down or slow down effectively.
Regarding the F1 stuff, I've talked with Rhys about those types of cars the last few years up on the hill, and I think you'll be surprised how 'not fast' those cars may be compared to the AWD stuff. IIRC a F1 car is slower 0-60 than a rally car due to traction issues, and many of those FI/LeMans type cars have a turning radius that would need to be tightened up to navigate the "Ws." Will they be fast...sure thing! Will they be able to keep up with Millen's AWD thing...time will tell. Rumor is Monster is coming back with a completely new car for 2012!
Dave
Finally finished the writeup for PPIHC practice week. Check it out:
http://racekern.com/Kernracing/2011/...practice-week/
Thanks for following along!
Dave
http://racekern.com/Kernracing/2011/...practice-week/
Thanks for following along!
Dave
Our buddy Josh just finished his first PPIHC race day video featuring some Colorado based privateer teams in Open Wheel and Time Attack. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNC8n98__VI
Dave
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNC8n98__VI
Dave
Nice writeup dave! Here are all my clips from the race:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EW8-...watch_response
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EW8-...watch_response
Raceday writeup finally finished!
The Pikes Peak Hill Climb is every bit as much an addiction as it is a learning experience.
Year 1 we learned that reaching the summit is challenge enough – even more so in a 20 year old car.
Year 2 we learned that sometimes its 40 degrees warmer on race day than practice – air bad, nitrogen good.
Year 3 we learned that if you’re trying to run 30 pounds of boost – sometimes new couplers aren’t good enough.
Year 4 we learned that sometimes even if you run into every problem imaginable during practice, there’s still 12.4 miles for new problems to crop up on race day.
Click the link to see the rest of it along with a few great pics:
http://racekern.com/Kernracing/2011/...peak-race-day/
Hoping to have some full length videos done in the not-too-distant future.
Thanks guys for following along!
Dave
Year 1 we learned that reaching the summit is challenge enough – even more so in a 20 year old car.
Year 2 we learned that sometimes its 40 degrees warmer on race day than practice – air bad, nitrogen good.
Year 3 we learned that if you’re trying to run 30 pounds of boost – sometimes new couplers aren’t good enough.
Year 4 we learned that sometimes even if you run into every problem imaginable during practice, there’s still 12.4 miles for new problems to crop up on race day.
Click the link to see the rest of it along with a few great pics:
http://racekern.com/Kernracing/2011/...peak-race-day/
Hoping to have some full length videos done in the not-too-distant future.
Thanks guys for following along!
Dave