Pikes Peak Qualifying Results

MILLEN SETS QUALIFYING RECORD ON PIKES PEAK

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 2, 1999) -Continuing his quest to break the 10-minute barrier, defending unlimited division champion Rod Millen shattered his own qualifying course record by nearly five seconds during qualifying competition today for the 1999 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The 77th Annual "Race to the Clouds" is slated for July 4 on the Pikes Peak Highway near Colorado Springs. Millen, a 47-year-old New Zealand native now living in Huntington Beach, Calif., reached speeds of nearly 115 miles per hour en route to setting a new Hill Climb qualifying course record of 4:21.47 with his 1999 Toyota Tacoma truck. Millen set the previous qualifying course record of 4:26.32 in 1997. "It was very uneventful. The truck was running well, and I didn't try pushing anything too hard," Millen said of his qualifying performance. "It [the truck] can go a little faster, but not much. That's a good pace. I wish the race was today. These are the conditions we need on race day." Millen noted that while the lower half of the course is fast, the top section is a bit slippery. Today's qualifying runs were held on the lower half of the course from the start line to Glen Cove. "There are lots of slippery spots," he noted. "You've got to hunt down the good spots and try to make time there." Though speculation is that he'll break the 10-minute barrier this year, Millen is reluctant to make promises. "I'm not going to say that yet. Too many things have to come together on race day." Race-day running order will now be assigned based on competitors' qualifying results, with the slowest qualifiers driving first and the fastest qualifiers running last in their respective divisions. Race-day running order will be available online on the Hill Climb web site later today. Motorcycle qualifying will be held from 5:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. tomorrow, July 3, running from the start line to Glen Cove on the Pikes Peak Highway. Following qualifying, a press brunch will be held at Castaways Restaurant in Manitou Springs. A complete schedule of the week's remaining Hill Climb events follows this release. Tickets for the 1999 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb are available for $25 per person online at http://www.ppihc.com, the Hill Climb Auto Educational Museum in Manitou Springs, King Soopers throughout Colorado, Tire Centers Inc. in Colorado Springs, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and Colorado Springs military installations. The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is held annually on July 4 in cooperation with the City of Colorado Springs and the U.S. Forest Service. The Race attracts an international field of auto, truck, and motorcycle competitors. Its 12.42-mile course on a groomed gravel highway to the 14,110 ft. summit of Pikes Peak is open to the public. The event is presented by ADT Automotive. Other sponsors include Pennzoil, Pirelli Tire, Toyota Motor Sales USA, The Robert Bosch Corporation, Rex Tire of Colorado Springs, Ultra Wheel Co., Contract Freighters, Inc., Kenworth, and Barnett Tool. The Hill Climb is the principal fund raising event for the Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb Educational Museum.

1999 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Unofficial Auto/Truck Qualifying Results

Unlimited Division 1. Rod Millen,Toyota/1999 Tacoma, Newport Beach, Calif., 04:21.47. (New qualifying course record) 2. Nobuhiro Tajima, Suzuki/1996 Side Kick, Japan, 04:53.26.

Super Stock Truck Division 1. Larry Ragland,Chevrolet/1998 S-10, Phoenix, Ariz., 04:56.70. 2. Jerry Brady, Jr., Ford/1996 Bronco, Peyton, Colo., 05:19.19. 3. Curt Le Duc, Dodge/1999 Ram, Cherry Valley, Calif.,05:20.12. 4. Tyler Casebier, Ford/1997 Ranger, Denver, Colo., 05:28.40. 5. Chad DeVries, Ford/1997 Ranger, Wheatridge, Colo., 05:35.95. 6. Jim Olson, Chevrolet/1997 S-10, Denver, Colo., 05:39.94. 7. Richard DeVries, Ford/1997 Ranger, Wheatridge, Colo., 05:40.60. 8. Dean Burling, Chevrolet/1997 S-10, Lincoln, Neb., 06:02.01. 9. David Schmidt II, GMC/1993 Sonoma X-Cab, Colorado Springs, Colo., 06:22.57. 10. Jim Keeney, Chevrolet/1997 Model, Colorado Springs, Colo., DNF. 11. Russell O'Day, Chevrolet/1993 S-10, Colorado Springs, Colo., DNF.

Super Stock Car Division 1. Clint Vahsholtz, Ford/1999 Mustang, Woodland Park, Colo., 05:12.46. 2. Terry Wark, Chevrolet/1997 Camaro, Colorado Springs, Colo., 05:13.25. 3. Gay Smith, Ford/1993 Mustang, Colorado Springs, Colo., 05:13.95. 4. Lynn Cowan, Chevrolet/1992 Camaro, Colorado Springs, Colo., 05:18.83. 5. Layne Schranz, Chevrolet/1999 Monte Carlo, Colorado Springs, Colo.,05:19.63. 6. Steve Goeglein, Chevrolet/1999 Camaro, Colorado Springs, Colo., 05:24.96. 7. Ralph (Chandler) Bruning, Jr., Chevrolet/1997 Camaro, Colorado Springs, Colo., 05:28.54. 8. Randy Schranz, Chevrolet/1994 Lumina, Colorado Springs, Colo., 05:31.66. 9. Robert Nankivell, Ford/1997 Mustang, Sedalia, Colo., 05:36.88. 10. Steve Overholser, Chevrolet/1999 Camaro, Colorado Springs, Colo., 05:40.53. 11. Michael Hathaway, Pontiac/1999 Grand Prix, Colorado Springs, Colo., 05:42.88. 12. Ralph Bruning, Chevrolet, Colorado Springs, Colo., DNS. 13. Bobby Regester, Chevrolet/1999 Camaro, Florissant, Colo., DNS.

Sprint Division 1. Leonard Vahsholtz, 1997 Sprint, Woodland Park, Colo., 05:08.48. 2. Jimmy Keeney, Kewe/1997 Sprint, Woodland Park, Colo., 05:33.43. 3. Vicki Keeney, Kewe/1990 Sprint, Colorado Springs, Colo., 05:35.58. 4. Ted Marcovich, Wells/1997 Coyote, Franktown, Colo., 05:41.78. 5. John Wells, Wells/1999 Coyote, Green Mountain Falls, Colo., 05:43.79. 6. Randy Pearce, Hardman/1989 Upright Sprinter, Franktown, Colo., 05:44.40. 7. C.W. Hardman, 1976 Sprint, Golden, Colo., 05:47.83. 8. John Guynn, Ream/1996 Sprint, Colorado Springs, Colo., 05:52.31. 9. Michael Burnell, Brazier Bilt/1992 Champ, Colorado Springs, Colo., 05:53.46. 10. Anthony Marcovich, Wells/1997 Coyote (mini), Monument, Colo., 05:55.54. 11. Wade Renck, Ream/1998 Champ, Golden, Colo., 06:06.90. 12. Bruce Kristoff, Wells/ Coyote, Colorado Springs, Colo., 06:14.65. 13. Lorie Brady, Ford/1999 SuperSprint, Peyton, Colo., 06:20.63. 14. Thelma Brazier, 1997 Coyote, Colorado Springs, Colo., 06:27.91. 15. Robert Rybicki, 1998 Rhino Chaser, Yorkville, N.Y., 06:33.88. 16. Bruce Hayes, HHD Chassis/1999 Upright Sprinter, Aurora, Colo., 07:28.32. 17. David Regester, Wells/1999 Coyote, Woodland Park, Colo., DNF.

Semi Truck Division 1. Mike Ryan, Freightliner/1999 Century Class, North Hollywood, Calif., 06:21.10. 2. Glenn Brown, Kenworth/1999 T-2000 Joplin, Mo., 06:36.04.

Professional Truck Division 1. Gary Vosburg, Ford/1999 F150, N. Las Vegas, Nev., 06:10.26. 2. Brian Stewart, Dodge/1997, San Diego, Calif., 06:35.40.

Pikes Peak Open Division 1. Paul Choiniere, Hyundai/1999 Tiburon, Shelburne, Vt., 05:09.61. 2. Masaki Ohashi, Mitsubishi/1998 Lancer EVO V, Japan, 05:11.38. 3. Jean Pierre Richelmi, Lancia/Delta Integrale, Monaco, 05:12.71. 4. Shigeo Sugaya, Subaru/1998 Impreza SRX, Japan, 05:33.94. 5. Kahee Namikawa, Subaru/1995 GC8, Japan, 05:39.80. 6. Andrew Bornhop, Hyundai/1996 Elantra, Orange, Calif., 05:51.40. 7. Koichi Horiuchi, Mitsubishi/1997 FTO, Japan, 06:44.31.

Open Wheel Division 1. Barry Isaac, 1999 Lockwood Special, Colorado Springs, Colo., 05:06.97. 2. John Johnson, 1999 Greenwood/Hull, Reno, Nev., 05:10.30. 3. Jimmy Olson, John Wells/Edgewater Jeep/1993 Coyote, Denver, Colo., 05:19.42. 4. Keith Harper, Wells/1981 Coyote, Manitou Springs, Colo., 05:19.74. 5. Stan Kossen, Wells/19984 Coyote, Parker, Colo., DNF.

High Performance Showroom Stock Division 1. David Donner, Subaru/1998 Impreza, Colorado Springs, Colo., 05:22.44. 2. Jeff Zwart, Porsche/1998 Turbo-S, Woody Creek, Colo., 05:23.42. 3. Rhys Millen, Nissan/ Skyline GTR, Huntington Beach, Calif., 05:23.82. 4. James Adams III, Dodge/1998 Viper, Suffolk, Va., 05:33.74. 5. Andrew Kalman, BMW/1995 M3 Lightweight, San Francisco, Calif., 06:10.88. 6. Samuel Fuller, Honda/Civic, Sarasota, Fla., 06:29.24. 7. Kenji Momota, Toyota/1993 Supra, Garland, Texas, 06:29.74.

Electric Division 1. Teruo Sugita, Honda/1997 EVR Plus, Japan, 06:31.04.

Exhibition 1. Barry Sadler, Doddge/1998 3500 1 Ton, Harrison, Idaho, DNF.

DNF     Did Not Finish
DNS     Did Not Start