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 COLORADO
SPRINGS, Colo.
Tajima breaks down,
Vahsholtz's claim double,
Kanawyer quickest in 79th Race to the Clouds
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -
Gary Lee Kanawyer overcame mucky afternoon road
conditions as he drove his Open Wheel 1981 Wells Coyote
to the overall best time of 10 minutes, 39.76 seconds on
the winding 12.42-mile road course Saturday in the 79th
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
Once again the mountain
and its mirco-climate affirmed that it is the number one
determinant of who goes fast and who doesn't at the Race
to the Clouds. Shortly after noon, thunderclouds rolled
in and hard rain and lightning fell on the lower section
of the course, while snow blew across the 14,110-foot
summit.
Practice
Pro Quad, defending champion Bobby Parr of Mt. Pleasant,
Texas, returns to dice with Ray Storm of Colorado
Springs. Parr set the quad record with a run of 12:37.86
in 2000. Storm will be the sentimental favorite among
locals.
The Pro Quad qualification
record no longer stands, either. Four drivers passed the
1999 record of 5:24.58 set by Darin Reutter.
Bobby Parr, last year's
winner, broke the record by 18 seconds with his 2001 LSR
Lightweight. His run was 5:16.52. Parr said he was
concerned about the safety of the other drivers during
the race Saturday. "I hope no one takes for granted how
sticky the bottom is," he said. Sometimes, the road
below Glen Cove will be totally different than the road
above reaching to the summit.
John Stallworth, driver of
a 2000 Yamaha Banshee, broke the record with a time of
5:21.46. Ryan Detrick beat the record with a time of
5:23.54. Darin Reutter barely passed it in his 2001
Yamaha Banshee with a time of 5:24.15.
Race Day
Pro quad: Bobby Parr not only successfully defended his
Pro-Quad motorcycle title, the Mt. Pleasant, Texas,
native set a record of 12:09.16, breaking the mark of
12:37.86 he established last year.
"That road and this
mountain love me,'' said Parr, who led his class from
start to finish. "When I hit second gear, I got away
from them and by the time I got to Engineer's Corner
(two miles from the starting line) I looked back and I
knew I was all alone.''
Special thanks to Mike
Cook, also Tim Bergsten, media coordinator
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
For Rider Time and Finishing Postion Click Here
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