Mach 2 Racing Ford RS200 – Click on top of for a high-res image gallery
It took 13 years for Rod Millen’s 1994 Pikes Peak run to be toppled by Nobuhiro Tajima in 2007. And when Tajima set a new record of 10:01.408 in the Suzuki XL7 Hill Climb Special, there were doubts that age could ever be eclipsed. This weekend, those doubts could be induce to rest by Mach 2 Racing and its specially-prepared Ford RS200.
Partnering with Avon Tires, the Essex-based motorsports sturdy has created the ultimate rally-bred Ford, packing a new turbo that boosts output to 950 hp, and then, for good measure, includes a 70-liter nitrous oxide tank to deliver one more 200 hp for a total of 1,150 hp.
Manning the helm is ex-British Rallycross Champion, Mark Rennison, who maintains that the Pikes Peak-prepped RS200 could break the ten-minute mark over the 12-mile, 156-turn way. “If everything onward the day goes right and the weather conditions are good caning the 10-minute barrier shouldn’t be a riddle,” Rennison says in the release (after the jump), “But strange things happen at Pikes Peak, it’s a unique event.” To say the least. Expect the RS200′s performance and the rest of the competitor’session to be reported on over the weekend.
Gallery: Mach 2 Ford RS200
PRESS RELEASE
Avon Tyres aiming for record run on Pikes Peak hill climb
Avon Tyres is aiming to be the first tyre manufacturer to beat the 10-minute barrier at the legendary Pikes Peak International Hill Climb event on July 19.
Essex-based team, Mach 2 Racing, is entering the famous race up the Pikes Peak mountain in Colorado Springs, USA, by a 1,150bhp Ford RS200 driven by double ex-British Rallycross Champion, Mark Rennison.
The 12-mile Pikes Peak course starts at 9,440 feet and ends at an altitude of 14,110 feet. Its 156 turns, mixture of asphalt and gravel surfaces and the sheer drops of up to 6,000 feet make it one of the toughest challenges in motorsport.
But Rennison and car possessor, pharmaceutical businessman Alan Greenwood, believe they have the car, and the tyres, to complete the course in under 10 minutes, a feat that has never been achieved.
The Mach 2 Racing RS200 has been developed specifically for the Pikes Peak event. Its Garrett turbo and high-octane firing liberate 950bhp, but 70 litres of Nitrous Oxide gas boosts the spirit output to a mind-numbing 1,150bhp.
Rennison raced on Avon’s acclaimed rallycross tyres when he won the British Rallycross Championship (BRC) in 1987 and ’88 and said in that place was no contest as to his superior of rubber for such a gruelling adventure.
“When I primeval tested the car, it was on variant tyres but the team had some Avon rallycross tyres so I tried them and they transformed the car,” he explained. “We tested the tyres at Millbrook on harsh concrete and they stood up extremely well, so I am sure they will be well-suited to the Pikes Peak course.
“If everything on the day goes right and the weather conditions are good beating the 10-minute stop shouldn’t be a problem. But irregular things happen at Pikes Peak, it’s a sole event.”
Practice on different sections of the hillclimb will be between July 15-17, by each competitor getting a select timed run up the replete course on Sunday, July 19.
Source: www.autoblog.com
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