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2012 Pikes Peak Recap
It will likely be a Pikes Peak Hill Climb event to remember for Phoenix resident and 4-time Pikes Peak Champion Todd Cook and for many reasons. “I was on the phone calling all over the area to try and find a motor,” said an exhausted Cook following the race weekend. “I figured that we had come this far, and I really wanted to make sure that we at least took a good shot at the hill, so putting the work into it was worth it.”
The team finally found what they were hoping would work, but it wasn't’t quite as simple as just pulling one more motor and putting in another one. “The first motor transplant motor we put in was basically an engine taken from a junkyard, and I could feel it tightening up after driving with it a bit. So, we went on to a second replacement engine that actually looked pretty good, but we had to do a fair amount of fab work to get things to fit properly in the frame of the car.
Despite the fact that there were nine available practice opportunities, the motor issues and the time involved meant that Todd was able to take only one of those runs and would have to base his set up changes on that sole run. In addition, Cook was not able to make a qualifying attempt for the race forcing him to take a Promotors Option.
Race day promised good conditions along the now completely paved Pikes Peak route. But, as race time wore on, it quickly became evident that there simply was not enough time in the day to allow for all the competitors to make a full run of the hill. The organizers decided to take the final classes of competitors and have them race an abbreviated section of the climb which amounted to about 35% of the total race distance. Without the higher speed "upper sections" this was clearly to the teams advantage.
Todd still had wait until 7:10pm before he could make his run and the fading light made the prospect of an aggressive run intimidating. Undaunted, Cook gave his all, relying on his knowledge of the hill from years of previous drives, and hoping that the changes that he made to the handling of the racecar would play in his favor. The teams effort paid off with a solid 4th place in Open Wheel surprising more than a few folks who had discounted them!
TEST DAY VIDEO
ON BOARD
VIDEO 2
2011: TCE Breaks Record on Mt. Washington!
The TCE Team finished second overall at Mt. Washington on Sunday June 26th 2011. With rain coming down off and on all weekend long the battle for grip was intense. Please see the related story links and results below.
Results:
2nd in Open Comp Class
Fastest Open Wheel Race Car- Ever
Fastest 2WD Car- Ever
Third quickest time- Ever
RUN 2 VIDEO
STORY
RESULTS
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