| June 27, 1997 -- Shakedown of the Rod Millen Toyota Celica. | Shakedown of the Celica was successful. We did not get as much testing time with the car as we would have liked, but the results of the tests were encouraging. This is the fourth consecutive year we have run this car at Pikes Peak; we have improved it each year based on our experiences from previous years. |
| June 29, 1997 -- Testing on the bottom third of Pikes Peak
(From the bottom of the hill to the ski area) |
Rod clocked a time of 3:18 on the lower section of the mountain during testing. Rod's competitor in the Unlimited class, Nobuhiro Tajima, recorded a best-run time for the same section at 3:30. Rod reports that the Celica is running well and that he is happy with the team's position during testing. Additional downforce was coaxed from the Celica's aero pagkage today without upsetting vehicle balance or stability. |
| June 30, 1997 -- Testing on the middle third of Pikes Peak
(From the ski area to Devil's Playground) |
Rod clocked a time of 3:40 on the middle mountain, 7 seconds faster
than anyone has ever run the four-mile, switchback-ridden section of the
hill. He was 17 seconds faster than anyone else on the hill in 1997
for the section, and 21 seconds faster than Tajima this year. Today's
testing focused on tire selection; the selection of proper compound and
grooving of our B. F. Goodrich experimental T/A's which will be critical
in Friday's race. Rod was very enthusiastic about today's testing
and is confident in the Pennzoil Celica's capabilities this year.
The peak is scheduled for another treatment of calcium chloride, a dust suppressant, on Thursday. This compound increases the available traction on the hill and improves Rod's chances of breaking the 10-minute barrier. |
| July 1, 1997 -- Testing on the top third of Pikes Peak
(From Devil's Playground to the summit) |
Testing at the top of the mountain was cold and windy. The high altitude pracitce session revealed that the 2.1 liter Toyota Racing Development engine performed spectacularly during the ascent from 11,500 to 14,110 feet at the summit, and our Garret turbocharger again showed its stuff in the thin air at the top of Pike's Peak. The track was extremely cold; its temperature warmed to a chilly 39 degrees Farenheit by the conclusion of testing. The team was also pleased to discover that the gusting 40 mph winds did not significantly affect the extensive ground effects and aerodynamic features on the Pennzoil Celica. |
| July 2, 1997 -- Qualifying | The Rod Millen team awoke at an early hour of 3:00AM to ensure that
the Celica was completely prepared for qualifying starting at 6:00AM.
Daybreak was gorgeous, without a cloud in the sky.
Qualifying went very well today. In fact, Rod piloted the Pennzoil Toyota Celica to a new course qualifying record of 4:26.14 from the base of the hill to Glen Cove! The previous best time of 4:28.17 was set by Rod in the 1996 Race to the Clouds. Rod's only competitor in the Unlimited class, Nobuhiro Tajima, qualified at 4:42.74. Rod was clocked at speeds of 130MPH and 122MPH at the picnic grounds and at Glen Cove, respectively. Tajima clocked speeds of 121MPH and 107MPH at the same locations. In addition, our onboard data acquisition computer indicated a top speed during the run of over 135MPH! Not only did we set a new qualifying record, but we also identified a few items which ought to allow Rod to wring still more speed from our Celica come race day. In addition, we were able to prove out a new grooving pattern from B. F. Goodrich which was specially developed to cope with the mixed track conditions on the Pike's Peak Highway. Overall, today was a good day, and Rod and the entire Pennzoil ExpressLube team are looking forward to an exciting 75th annual Pike's Peak Hill Climb. |
| July 3, 1997 -- Vehicle prep for race | The Celica made two appearances today at the local Colorado Springs
Toyota dealerships, Liberty Toyota North and Liberty Toyota South.
Many thanks are due to Richard Newendyke and the entire staff at Liberty
Toyota South for offering the Pennzoil Toyota ExpressLube team a home in
Colorado Springs.
Working around the Celica's public appearances, the Rod Millen crew completed final preparations for the 75th Race to the Clouds. Suspension and aerodynamic settings were dialed into the car today based on data gathered during testing and qualifying, and our predictions for the road conditions on race day. Finally, the onboard video camera was installed on the roof of the Pennzoil Celica, which will offer race footage from a very unique perspective tomorrow. We will post broadcast times for the race on ESPN2 as soon as they are available. The weather and track condtions for tomorrow look promising, and here in Colorado we are looking forward to an exciting race. Wish us luck! |
| July 4, 1997 -- 75th running of the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb | The morning of the nation's birthday dawned beautiful and clear.
Excited race fans streamed up the hill, eager for a good show. Hours
of preparation, early morning practice runs and a desire to succeed all
paid off today for Rod Millen Motorsport as the team took the Unlimited
Class and overall championships at the 75th Anniversary Pikes Peak International
Hill Climb. Millen drove his Pennzoil/Toyota ExpressLube Celica to
a near record-breaking time of 10:04.54.
Although he didn’t break the overall record of 10:04.06 he set in 1994, he did finish more that 30 seconds ahead of the next closest competitor for the overall title -- Gary Lee Kanawyer who clocked a time of 10:40.25. Nobuhiro Tajima, Millen’s main Unlimited Class competition, had mechanical problems and was unable to finish the race. Tajima was reportedly standing outside his disabled Suzuki, cheering Millen on as the Celica roared past. "The Toyota ran flawlessly, and the team has worked incredibly hard," said Millen, who hit a top speed of 130 mph through the picnic grounds. "They deserve this victory. Of course, we’re all a little disappointed that we didn’t get under 10 minutes, but as I’ve said before, it will take perfect conditions to beat that mark. We’re still thrilled with our win. It’s always a fun way to celebrate the Fourth of July." On behalf of the Rod Millen Motorsport team, we were all looking foreward to a record-breaking win today. The victory is not quite as sweet as it would have been if Tajima had finished the race or if the 10-minute barrier had fallen, but we all appreciate the win nonetheless. Today was a reminder for us all that no matter how prepared a driver and team are, they are always at the mercy of the mountain. Our thanks go out to our team sponsors, Pennzoil, Toyota ExpressLube,
BF Goodrich, American Racing, and the others. Without their support,
our assault on Pikes Peak would not have been possible.
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