Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Record Shattered By Japan's Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima

Record-Breaking Race To The Top Of Pikes Peak (VIDEO)

In the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb's 89th annual race, held Sunday, Japanese driver Nobuhiro Tajima set a course record with a time of 9 minutes, 51.278 seconds. The victory marks 60-year-old Tajima's sixth straight win at Pikes Peak.

Tajima's record leaves the long-sought 10-minute barrier in the dust. While longer paved stretches of road are partly to credit for the new record, Tajima's performance under pressure ultimately sealed the deal. The record time was delivered despite an overheated engine and a sudden loss of power steering near the top of the course.

A twin-turbo Suzuki SX4 carried Tajima to the top. The all-wheel-drive V6 sports 900 horsepower and carbon fiber body panels.

The race to the top of the 14,110 foot Pikes Peak lasts 12.42 miles and is known for hairpin turns edged by steep cliffs. With the first motorized summit in 1901 (it took 9 hours) and an auto-race in 1916, Pikes Peak is the nation's second-oldest motor sports race.

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