An Electrifying Result at Pike’s Peak By Bob Marlow
The annual “Race to the Clouds,” the Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb, experienced a paradigm shift on June 28 as Rhys Millen became the first driver to win the event with an electric-powered car. In the process he set a new electric vehicle record time of nine minutes, 7.222 seconds.
The overall course record of 8:13.878 was set in 2013 by Sebastian Loeb in an internal-combustion racer.
Without intending a pun, the ascent of battery power was underscored by a 9:32.401 run to second place overall by Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima in another electric machine.
If the hum of electric cars is not your thing, there was still plenty of thunder on the mountain. Paul Dallenbach shattered the open-wheel record with a 9:36.496 time, he did so using an old school, battered looking, naturally aspirated, scoop-winged creation. In the Unlimited class, which historically has topped the time sheet, Dominic Dobson recorded a best time of 10:15.289. On two wheels Jeffrey Tigert was the fastest bike at 10:02.735.