In the spirit of Parnelli Jones, world-class rally aces Marcus Grönholm and Andreas Eriksson will scale Pikes Peak Sunday determined to crack the elusive 10-minute barrier.
Jones, one of America’s most versatile drivers, won the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 1963 and 1964 in a Mercury Marauder set up as a U.S. Auto Club stock car. Grönholm, a two-time World Rally Car champion, and Eriksson, a four-time Swedish Rally champion, will tackle the 87th edition of “The Race to the Clouds†in a pair of supercharged Ford Fiestas.
Despite their impressive rally credentials, Grönholm and Eriksson have spent this week in and around Colorado Springs, Colo., adjusting to the serpentine 12.42-mile course and thin air as bonafide rookies. Jones, the 1963 Indianapolis 500 champion, suggested that was a wise approach.
“Those rally guys are pretty brave guys anyway, running on the circuits they run… Details