Aussie rookies set to tackle Pikes Peak

A field of 101 assorted drivers and riders – some well-known pros but also plenty of unknowns chasing their dreams - will challenge America's Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on Sunday, June 26.

Many have previously confronted the gruelling 12.42 mile (20 kilometre) course while negotiating 156 turns to the 14,115-foot (4302-metre) summit. But next weekend will be a new adventure for 19 rookie drivers and riders facing the task of successfully getting to the finish in a motorsports event unlike any other they have experienced.

Three of the rookies are Australians – Tony Quinn (Ford Focus) and Rodney Tu (2016 Palatov D1PPS), who are both running in the Unlimited class, and Rennie Scaysbrook, (2015 KTM Super Duke 1290 R) in the Heavyweight category.

They join Evo-driving Jeff Denmeade, who has successfully completed the climb twice before.

As reported by Wheels, Acura (Honda’s American offshoot) will field a pair of 2017 Acura NSX supercars in the 100th Anniversary of the running of the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 26, marking the North American racing debut of Acura’s next-generation NSX: the pinnacle expression of Acura Precision Crafted Performance and the only supercar made in America.

The two Honda NSX supercars will compete in the Time Attack 1 and 2 classes and will be piloted by brothers James and Nick Robinson, respectively, both from the company’s North American engineering team.

For a century, the world's most demanding motorsports hill climb has attracted names big and small, including the greats of American motor sport - Mario Andretti, Parnelli Jones, Al Unser, Al Unser, Jr, Louis Unser, Bobby Unser, Rick Mears and scores of others, along with internationals Rod and Rhys Millen, Ari Vatanen, Per Eklund, Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima, and Michele Mouton, the first woman to bag a victory on Pikes Peak.

In 2013 Sébastien Loeb stunned the world with his Pikes Peak course record of 8m13.878s.