Mitsubishi’s electric attack on the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb saw it finish first in the electric vehicle category and both second and third overall.
MITSUBISHI ENTERED TWO MiEV Evolution III all-electric racecars in last weekend’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in the Electric Modified Division (EMD) with lead driver, Greg Tracy, wining the EMD and finishing second overall with a time of 9min:8.188secs. Driver of the second MiEV Evolution III, Hiroshi Masuoka set a time of 9min:12.204secs finishing second in EMD and third overall.
Greg Tracey said: “I am extremely happy to be able to deliver this Electric Modified class victory to Mitsubishi Motors – I really wanted to race with an electric vehicle.
“The road surface condition today was rather slippery but the S-AWC had eliminated any unnecessary drift of the car, and I was able to attack turns all the way to the top with full confidence.
“One thing that I am disappointed about from my run is that I was a little too aggressive under the braking in some turns. Therefore, the brakes started to fade a little bit towards the end, and due to pounding from hard braking, I think I lost some time at the top. I am a bit gutted since if it wasn’t for this, I think we really had a good shot at winning the overall as well.”
The Race: Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
The race starts at an elevation of 2862m and takes competitors through 156 corners on a 20 km course to the finish on the 4301m summit of Pikes Peak. With an elevation difference of 1439m, atmospheric pressure, temperature, weather and other conditions vary significantly between the start and finish. A feature of the race course is that it is split into three major sections: Bottom at the foot of the mountain, Middle and then Upper near the summit.
Lined by conifer trees, the Bottom section starts with its rhythmical series of mid- to high-speed corners leading into a series of much tighter and difficult turns which demand the utmost care and concentration.
The Middle section is distinguished by some spectacular scenery with oddly-shaped rocks closely bordering the road. This is a very technical section as shortly after the start a series of tight hairpin bends demand precise handling as the car races along the steeply ascending road.
The Upper section is a very high-speed course taking competitors through many fast corners between craggy rocks and boulders. With little guard railing at the side of the road, this very difficult section brings with it the risk of plunging over the edge should the car slide off the tarmac. This is why the highest levels of vehicle stability are required over the high-speed parts of the section.
