PIKES PEAK: Millen Falls Short of 10-Minute Mark at Pikes Peak, Monaco's Richelmi Takes 'Open' Title

6 July 1999

Rod Millen of Newport Beach, Calif. failed to break the 10-minute barrier in Sunday's 77th Pikes Peak Hill Climb near Colorado Springs, Colo. but his time of 10:11.15 in a Toyota Tacoma was the fastest among the 124 participants in numerous classes who completed the 12.5-mile climb to the summit.

Millen, who also won last year's "Unlimited" class title, claimed the 1999 "Unlimited" crown, one of two sanctioned by the United States Auto Club, with a 26-second-plus cushion over runner-up Nobuhiro Tajima of Iwata, Japan, who timed in at 10:37.35 in a Suzuki. Millen continues to hold the all-time course record of 10:04. , set in 1994.

Jean Pierre Richelmi of Monte Carlo, Monaco won the other USAC-sanctioned class of Sunday's Hill Climb, the "Pikes Peak Open," with a time of 11:48.26 in his Lancia Integrate, to beat Japan's Masaki Ohashi, who recorded an 11:52.07 in his Mitsubishi Lancer.

Other champions in non-USAC-sanctioned portions of Sunday's event included Stan Kossen of Parker, CO (Open Wheel), Leonard Vahsholtz of Woodland Park, CO (Sprint), Greg Tracy of Long Beach, CA, Greg Chicoine of Jefferson, SD and Davey Durelle of Colorado Springs (Motorcycles), Larry Ragland of Phoenix, Ariz. (Super Stock Truck), Clint Vahsholtz of Woodland Park, CO (Super Stock Car), Pete Whitney of Simi Valley, CA (SideCar), Mike Ryan of North Hollywood, CA (Class 8 Truck), Lonnie Eubanks of Tulsa, OK (Quad), Gary Vosburg of North Las Vegas, NV (Pro Truck), Rhys Millen of Huntington Beach, CA (High Performance Showroom Stock), Barry Sadler of Harrison, ID (Exhibition), Teruo Sugita of Japan (Electric), Craig "Rip" Raygor of Calhan, CO (Vintage) and Roger Mears, who beat Parnelli Jones and Ivan Stewart to win the "Challenge of Champions."

77TH PIKES PEAK INTERNATIONAL HILL CLIMB
USAC-SANCTIONED RESULTS 

Colorado Springs, Colorado - Pikes Peak Hill Climb - July 4, 1999

UNLIMITED DIVISION
Pos. Driver Car Time

1. Rod Millen Toyota Tacoma #1 10:11.15
2. Nobuhiro Tajima Suzuki #6 10:37.35

PIKES PEAK OPEN DIVISION
Pos. Driver Car Time

1. Jean Pierre Richelmi Lancia Integrate #111 11:48.26
2. Masaki Ohashi Mitsubishi Lancer #27 11:52.07
3. Andrew Bornhop Hyundai Elantra #18 12:39.62
4. Shigeo Sugaya Subaru Impreza #00 12:43.20
Paul Choiniere Hyundai Tiburon #3 DNF
Kahee Namikawa Subaru GC8 #8 DNF

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