"A Day For The Novice" - MozartRacing Wins Grp.N in Their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII
The last weekend in June 2002 marked the first running of the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb in Colorado Springs, CO, as part of the SCCA ProRally Championship. A total of 17 cars took the challenge, 10 cars in Open Class and 7 cars in Grp.N, most of the competitors were rookies to the mountain. Even though this round, round 5, did not count for the overall driver's championship, it did count for the manufacturer's championship. The event was also considered to be a test run in order to determine whether the SCCA ProRally group can return to Pikes Peak next year. The hillclimb is characterized by a 12.4 mile course, mostly gravel with short sections of tarmac, which ends at the summit of Pikes Peak, a phenomenal 14,110 foot tall mountain. The MozartRacing team, driver Wolfgang Hoeck, co-driver Julie Lin, and crew chief, Scott Tell, achieved the maximum accomplishment this weekend, their first victory in Grp.N, over 6 other, mostly seasoned, competitors. MozartRacing's Grp.N Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII, climbed the mountain in a new record time of 13:31:51.
Wolfgang and Julie drove up Pikes Peak for the first time Thursday afternoon to get acclimatized to the high altitude of over 14,000 feet. Thin air and low oxygen at this altitude can easily create problems for the competitors arriving from locations close to sea level, where the air is much thicker and contains more oxygen. It was also the first opportunity for the team to write their own pace notes, a shorthand to describe the road ahead. During competition, the co-driver reads the pace notes to the driver, which enables the driver to anticipate the road better and to drive a lot faster and safer. Pace notes were an essential component at Pikes Peak, particularly for first timers, where a mistake could easily result in a fall of over several hundred feet with devastating consequences. One of the competitors indeed had a close call at the "ragged edge", with two wheels dangling over the edge of the road.
Friday morning was the first and only practice opportunity for the SCCA ProRally cars. The practice run was broken into two sections. At approximately 5:20 AM, the first car went up the mountain to about half-way, an area called Cove Creek. It is a service area set-up for teams to change tires and/or adjust their equipment. Cove Creek to Summit was the second leg of Friday's practice, which was run several times to help competitors be more familiar with the rugged terrain and the many heart-stopping exposures. The MozartRacing team tested the conditions with two different sets of tires to determine what would be the best set-up for race day.
Saturday, June 29th 2002, race day. The SCCA ProRally cars compteted just before the intermission mid-day. Cars were run in reverse order, the lowest seeded teams ran first. The MozartRacing team was second on the road, tackling the 12.4 miles using their meticulously prepared pace notes. 13:31:51 minutes later, the team arrived at the summit, and waited impatiently for the other competitors to arrive. One by one the rally cars trickled in, with times slower than that of MozartRacing's. After anxious minutes of waiting, the MozartRacing team realized that they had won Grp.N. An ecstatic driver and co-driver gave their first interviews to the local press, before heading down the mountain in a caravan, cheered and high-fived by many of the enthusiastic spectators, who were waiting along the roadside to greet their heros. A truly unique, unforgettable experience, that is worth being part of the SCCA ProRally Championship in the years to come.
More information about MozartRacing can be found at:
http://www.MozartRacing.com
More information about Rhys Millen Racing Inc. can be found at:
http://www.rmrproducts.com
More information about Pikes Peak Int'l Hillclimb can be found at:
http://www.ppihc.com
Media/Partnership Contact:
Wolfgang Hoeck
626-617-0778
WHoeck@speakeasy.org
Last modification December 31st, 2005 - Created and maintained by MozartRacing Inc. - All Rights Reserved ©