You probably need cut some slack to those who have expressed disappointment with the quality of racing in the LMP1 class at Le Mans the last two years: Even though the Toyota TS030 hybrids made things surprisingly interesting in last weekend’s race, and even though the Audi R18 hybrids are just so dang cool, the big boy division has been kind of drab.
How drab? The decision by Peugeot to withdraw from racing after the 2011 season left the LMP1 class so hollow that some observers have viewed LMP1 as Audi shadow boxing with itself.
But relief for the disaffected is in sight. In fact, at Le Mans last weekend … More
Jeff Zwart isn’t really sure but says he’s probably covered around 1400 competitive miles at Pikes Peak since his first race outing there in 1989. Given that the course is 12.42 miles, that’s a lot of trips up the world’s most famous hillclimb.
A businessman working in television media, Zwart got into Pikes Peak through work, albeit indirectly. “We did a lot of TV commercials for car companies, and one of the stunt drivers we used was Rod Millen. Me and Rod used to have a lot of fun together on jobs, just screwing around with rental cars and so on; then at one point in the late 1980s, he said to me, ‘You know, you’re pretty good at this. You should give it a go properly.’ … Pictures and more