Few participants are as inexorably linked to a motorsports event as the Millen family is with Pikes Peak.
Rod Millen set an outright record at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb that stood for a thousand years (almost not an exaggeration), and his son Rhys has upheld the family tradition with back to back wins of his own. Last year, his time of 12 minutes, 31.06 seconds in a modified Solstice GXP was quick enough to set the record in the Time Attack 2WD division.
Rhys is running this year's hillclimb in a new ride--the Hyundai Genesis Coupe you've seen making the rounds in Formula Drift. Practice runs up the 12.4-mile hill have proven that his Genesis Coupe is stinkin' fast and in fine shape for this weekend's 2009 running of the storied hillclimb.
We chatted with Rhys over dinner in a steakhouse in idyllic Manitou Springs, a small town at the base of Pikes Peak, to pick his brain about the Genesis Coupe's potential to make the Solstice look slow.
When we first find Rhys, he is in a good mood. The day's practice of the top third of the road went well. "We went from the top of the "W"s to the finish in 3:26. That's 27 seconds faster than the Solstice on that same section."
So how'd he do it?
The basics are better--"Better tires, full aero package, and more power" says Rhys. The Genesis coupe is generating 580 hp and 560 lb-ft at sea level, which is roughly 100 horsepower and 100 lb-ft of torque than the Solstice. "The torque lets me come off corners a lot harder. Plus I can short-shift if I need to. For the five second-gear hairpins, this makes a difference."
Conditions matter--"Half of the 27 seconds is the surface. This year, the road has more grip."
Confidence--"The Solstice has a short wheelbase and was super twitchy on dirt even in a straight line.
[In the Genesis] I'm able to use lines I've only seen used by Dad and Ari [Vatanen]. I've never had the confidence before. The car is just so much more predictable."
Millen's Hyundai is not an unlimited-budget affair. To save costs, the team has re-purposed their drift car for the assault on Pikes Peak .
Changes appear relatively modest on their surface but have far-reaching implications. Ride height has been raised a half-inch to accomodate Pikes' rougher terrain, there's a revised alignment, extended rear diffuser plates, a shorter 4.2 differential, underbody skid plates and more robust splitter. A windshield washer-based intercooler spray helps keep coolant temps in check, and a 5-pound oxygen bottle feeds Rhys' helmet.
I kept waiting for Rhys to utter, "oh, and we completely redesigned the suspension geometry" or similar such bombshell, but none comes. The car has been prepped with an eye toward changes that have the most bang for the buck. Rhys explains, "The gearbox is sequential and can be shifted clutchless-ly, but I do use the clutch because I'm buying the gearboxes."
Rhys' goal is to run this year's course in less than 12 minutes. His practice runs, which divided the course up into thirds, suggest 11:59 is already in reach. On Sunday, we'll see if he can string all three sections together for a new record.
Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor
jederino says:
06:08 PM, 07/21/09
Will any cable channels be providing coverage of this year's hill climb?
someguyposting says:
02:22 PM, 07/28/09
I made this driver earlier this year in a rented Chevy Aveo. Its a slightly different experience than the hill climb. A bit slower, too.
Does this car still have the Nissan motor?