Japanese racer Nobuhiro Tajima raced this beast up the Pikes Peak hill – notorious for the 1.8km high cliff on the outside of one corner

Trackside’s Keith Collantine takes a look at ‘Monster Tajima’s’ attempt to break the Pikes Peak record.

Man meets machine meets mountain.

The Pikes Peak Hill Climb is the Nürburgring of rallying – a tortuous sequence of corners, climbing 1.5km, with sheer cliff drops one some corners.

The start line is at 2,800m, where the air is thin and the altitude dizzying. Competitors cover 156 corners in 20 kilometres – and climb to a height of 4,300m at the finish.

It’s home to one of the most infamous corners in motorsport – ‘Bottomless Pit’ – so called because there’s a 1,800m drop if you miss your braking point.

So far, no-one has. But to win this race you need bravery, commitment, and an enormously powerful car.

Enter the six foot tall Japanese Nobuhiro Tajima and his 1,000 bhp Suzuki Sport XL7.

It’s based on an ordinary Suzuki XL7 – the American version of the Grand Vitara. The 3.6 litre V6 engine has two turbochargers, giving it colossal power.

Gigantic front and rear wings generate huge downforce, pinning the car to the ground for maximum grip.

The car may be a brute but it’s Tajima who’s earned the nickname ‘monster’ for his maximum-attack style behind the wheel.

Winner of last year’s Pikes Peak Hill Climb, he returned this year with one goal – to claim a new record time, beating the 10 minute 4 second mark set in 1994.

It took him until his final run to complete to task, crossing the line in 10 minutes 1.408 seconds to claim the title King of the Mountain.

But Tajima will be back again next year – and is determined to be this first man to break the ten minute barrier.

Trackside video

Monster Tajima in action on Pikes Peak.

Racing round-up

Fernando Alonso won a chaotic Grand Prix in wet and dry conditions, snatching the lead from Felipe Massa in the dying stages. He has closed to within two points of F1 championship leader Lewis Hamilton, who failed to score after crashing in qualifying.

Scott Dixon won his third consecutive race in the Indy Racing League at Mid Ohio. He now trails British championship leader Dario Franchitti by 24 points with five races remaining, and 50 points available for each win.

Sebastien Bourdais dominated the Champ Car World Series race in Edmonton, Canada. The Frenchman, who has been linked with the Toro Rosso F1 team for next year, now leads the championship he has won for the last three years.

Timo Glock won his home feature race in the GP2 round supporting the Grand Prix, and Javier Villa triumphed in the shorter sprint race. BMW test driver Glock leads the F1 feeder series.

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