Norma M20 RD prototype wins 95th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with Honda engine!?!
Romain Dumas wins his third Overall Pikes Peak Hill Climb title from three attempts in a Honda powered car.
Considering the trouble Honda is having in F1 Grand Prix right now, that is staggering.
Norma MR20 RD 2017 model
Romain Dumas wearing the Mille Miglia GTS Speed Black
Romain Dumas winning Pikes Peak Hill Climb 2017
Romain Dumas has a habit of winning at Pike Peak every time he enters as this is his third overall win from three entries: 2014, 2016 and 2017.
He also won the Open-Class title in 2012.
Below are images from his 2016 Overall win......
Norma M20 RD 2016 model
Norma M20 RD 2016 model
Norma M20 RD 2016 model
Norma M20 RD 2016 model
Romain Dumas wears Chopard in 2016 Race
VIDEO
Read the report and see the video of the winning run (9minutes) on Chopard forum [CLICK]
Regards,
MTF
Congrats to him.
Still can't understand why they tarmaced (is that a word?) that dirt road...
It was a legal reason
According to Wikipedia:
"The City of Colorado Springs began to pave the highway in 2002 after losing a lawsuit against the Sierra Club, which sued on account of erosion damage to streams, reservoirs, vegetation and wetlands downstream from the 1.5 million tons of road gravel deposited over several decades.
The local authority paved approximately 10% of the route each year after the order. The 2011 event was the last race with dirt sections, comprising approximately 25% of the course.
Hill Climb champion Rod Millen warned at the time that paving the road would put an end to the race. However, the 2012 race saw over 170 racer registrations by December 2011, compared with 46 at the same time in 2011."
I guess that he was almost 400% wrong.
2016 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Overall Winner
Regards,
MTF
Despite the asphalt, the race has become more "exciting" because the speeds have gone up
Don't forget the road has been gradually paved since 2002 and finally completed in 2012 when it was 100% asphalt.
The entries rose by almost 400% after the full asphalt was laid.
Speeds have risen mainly because of electric motor vehicles with 100% torque available when the pedal hits the floor. Although petrol engines have mae a comeback in the last 3 years.
But brakes and tyres have not made the same advances. That means the drivers are closer to the edge of crashing and on Pikes Peak, in some places, that means jumping off into air space!
in the old days, the average drivers were expected to spin off but at slow speed.
I think it is more exciting because today, even the good drivers are on edge.
Regards,
MTF
Agree with your arguments.
