The ‘Race to the Clouds’ is an annual automobile and motorcycle climb, first run in 1916, on alternating surfaces of both dirt and tarmac to the 14,110 foot summit. To get there, man and machine must negotiate 156 turns over a distance of 12.42-miles. The fluids in the engine, transmission and brakes, are punished throughout the ascent, demanding the ultimate in lubricant technology by Motul.
The Unlimited Class has its sights set on sub 10-minute records. Motul will be on board two cars, the No Limit Dacia Duster of Frenchman, Jean-Philippe Dayraut; and the Rally Ready Team Mitsubishi Evo 959 piloted by Texan, Dave Carapetyan. Dayraut delivered last winter’s SuperTouring and Andros Trophies in the European Ice Racing Championship to Motul. His car is supported by Tork Engineering and Renault Sport. Carapetyan’s car was also purpose-built for capturing the overall trophy on the mountain.
“Motul is the life blood of this car. We can reliably make very consistent power and manage an effective cooling and braking system entirely due to our exclusive use of Motul lubricants,” said Carapetyan. “Nothing is more effective at helping the grassroots competitor to ensure consistent, reliable finishes and to provide extreme protection than quality lubricants. There is nothing better than Motul.”
In the Time Attack class, Motul is supporting four cars: the Subaru of Las Vegas/Zenkai Motorsports WRX STi Pikes Peak Special, the Rally Ready Team Subaru Impreza, a Ford Shelby GT500 driven by Kashmeer Singh, and the Fatman Racing Nissan 240SX.
The Subaru of Las Vegas/Zenkai Motorsports powered by Crawford Performance entry will be driven by French two-time class winner Stephan Verdier in the 4WD class. Also in 4WD, Carlos Martinez de Campos from Spain will pilot the Subaru Impreza of the Rally Ready Team.
The association between Subaru and Motul is long-standing and wide-ranging, and covers racing programs worldwide such as rallies, GT300, the forthcoming Nürburgring 24 Hours and, of course, with Ken Block’s infamous Gymkhana displays. Motul has been working closely alongside Crawford Performance in terms of technical support for the 2011 Pikes Peak Hill Climb.
In two-wheel drive, Rookie Kashmeer Singh lines up his Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 alongside the Nissan 240SX of Fatman Racing driven by Ken Stouffer who last year placed second. The Nissan will be the cause of considerable attention due to the presence of Stouffer’s co-driver, Travis Tollett who, in 2009, became the first quadriplegic competitor in the (then) 87-year history of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb.
“We have been using Motul lubricants for every part of our car; from MoCool in the cooling system, all the way back to the lube in the rear diff and everything in between,” said Stouffer. “After three years of extreme use, we have had zero defects in any part protected by Motul lubricants and fluids.”
The high altitude often poses challenges in motorsport, but the engine internals of all Motul’s technical partners will enjoy the protection of Motul 300V. Testing their products in both laboratories and on the living test benches of grueling, endurance motorsports events such as Pikes Peak and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Motul has been proven to offer reliable and race-winning lubricants for every part of a car or motorcycle.
