Competing in the 87th running of the historic Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado, Rhys Millen has driven to a record-setting win in his RMR Hyundai Genesis Coupe equipped with off-the-self Toyo extreme performance tires.
Also known as the “Race to the Clouds,” the event is acknowledged as the second-oldest auto race in the U.S., bested only by an 1895 contest staged in Chicago.
Begun in 1916, the climb attracts an annual crowd of spectators amounting to more than 35,000 people for a week of high-elevation motorsports competition and other festive activities, according to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) presenting organization.
Notorious for extreme changes in weather conditions, the race course begins at a 9,390-foot elevation and then stretches to the top at 14,110 feet.
“As the drivers climb toward the summit, the thin air slows reflexes and saps muscle strength. The thin air also robs engines of 30 percent of their power at the summit. Competitors and vehicles must be in top shape simply to finish – let alone win,” the PPIHC reports.
Hankook and TCI Tire Centers were the official 2009 tire sponsors. This year’s race ran 11 classes featuring a variety of auto, semi truck, exhibition, open wheel, super stock car, pro truck and motorcycle events with a field approaching 200 competitors.
Millen set a new world record of 12:09:397 on the 156-turn mountain course, beating his own personal best by 22 seconds, finishing one minute and 23 seconds ahead of the next-fastest car in his division.
“I chose to run on the Toyo Proxes R1R on race day knowing that its high grip level would get us to the 10 mile mark in record time,” Millen recounts. “During the 12.5 mile run I experienced slippery pavement with rain and hail at the start line, 95-degree weather in the middle and an abrasive upper two miles of crushed granite. A large contributor to the huge time reduction of this year’s record breaking run was due to the tires.”
Millen’s heavily modified Hyundai used off-the-shelf 245/40ZR18 tires in the front and 265/35ZR18 in the rear. They are the same tires available at any Toyo dealer for performance-driven cars, according to Stan Chen, manager of events and motorsports.
Chen reports that in addition to Millen’s Pikes Peak win, drivers running on R1Rs also swept the Street Touring X class of the SCCA ProSolo event during the July 18-19 Round 6 at Hampton Mills in Packwood, Wash. First and second places went to a well-piloted 2004 Subaru WRX, while the third spot on the podium was captured by a 2005 Mazda RX-8. “This combination of wins proves the diversity of the Proxes R1R,” says Chen.
The company’s drag slicks contributed to wins at the CMI SummerNationals sport compact drag race at Sacramento Raceway in California. With track temperatures measuring a blistering 130 degrees Fahrenheit, Bisi Ezerioha won the Quick N Fast 8 class. Driving his Toyo-sponsored 2006 Honda Insight, Ezerioha defeated a turbocharged Honda Civic in the final. He managed a quarter mile pass in 9.85 seconds at 143 mph on 28x9-15 front Proxes Drag Slicks.
In short course off-road racing, Rick Huseman maintains his Pro 4X4 Truck class championship points lead in The Off-Road Championship Series (TORC). Racing his No. 36 Monster Energy/Traxxas/Toyota /Toyo Tires Tundra on 35X12.50R17 Toyo Open Country M/T-R tires, Huseman finished in third place during Round 8 on July 19.
Team LeDuc also continued its podium streak in the series, with Curt LeDuc and son Kyle finishing second and third during the July 18 Round 7 Pro 4X4 Truck race. On July 19, Todd LeDuc powered his way to a third place finish during Round 8 of the Pro 2WD Truck class.
“We congratulate Rhys Millen for driving his Toyo tires-equipped Hyundai Genesis Coupe to a record-breaking Pikes Peak win,” says Chen. “Credit goes to all racers who captured victories and podiums this past weekend, demonstrating once again that Toyo tires win in a broad spectrum of motorsports disciplines.”
For more information, visit www.ppihc.com, www.toyotires.com, www.hankooktireusa.com and www.tirecenters.com.
