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Back to August 2012 Motorsports News Archive
| 20-08-2012 at 01:00: Millen Wins and Breaks Record at Pikes Peak | |
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The New Zealander, driving a Hankook Hyundai Genesis Coupe, topped a field of almost 200 drivers and motorcyclists with a time of 9 minutes 46:164 seconds, less than two hundredths of a second ahead of Romain Dumas in a factory-backed Porsche 911. 2012 marked the 90th running of the race and presented competitors with a new challenge, a fully paved racing surface – rather than dirt – on the last section of the mountain’s 14,000-foot elevation finish. “With the newly paved section of the course and the hot weather conditions, a lot of people failed or crashed,” said Millen. “My experience at Pikes Peak over the years allowed me to shave a few tenths from virtually every corner. Breaking the 10-minute barrier is something I’ve always wanted to do, and it feels great to accomplish this goal in 2012.” Millen’s Genesis Coupe was the same car that his father Rod Millen drove to a record time in the Time Attack 2WD class at last year’s Pikes Peak event. For the 2012 hill climb it received a redesigned higher-downforce aero package and wider rear bodywork to house new, ultra-wide, staggered fitment Hankook Ventus F200 racing slicks on custom HRE lightweight wheels. Enhancements to the turbocharged V6 engine resulted in outputs of 530 kilowatts and 949 Nm of torque. “We were able to leverage the additional downforce and traction opportunities provided by the new all-tarmac surface and, despite a torrential downpour during the last half mile, the heat in the Hankook slick tyres was enough to produce a new record.” Hankook motorsports marketing manager Paul Jho acclaimed the Rod Millen Racing (RMR) team for “an amazing job” at Pikes Peak. “Racing at Pikes Peak is extremely competitive, adding the course’s new fully paved surface made this one of the most heated events to date,” said Jho. “I am glad that Hankook’s Ventus F200 tires provided Rhys with the performance he needed to dominate at this year’s race to the clouds.” |
Rhys Millen has conquered the annual ‘race to the clouds’ at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, taking overall victory and setting a new outright record on his way to victory.^ Back to top ^
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