2010 Pikes Peak Hill Climb Practice Day 3 and Qualifying - Click above for high-res image gallery

A few lessons learned from my second day on Pikes Peak:

[*]If you don't like cold weather, then watch the race on the bottom part of the course. After experiencing the freezing temps at 14,000 feet, I came better prepared this morning with more layers and hand warmers. I needn't have bothered. Even at 4:30 in the morning I was comfortable in a light jacket. Who would've thought that being 9,000 feet above see level would feel so good?[*]Don't forget sun screen at high elevation. The sun feels twice as harsh in the thin air. I'll be peeling for weeks.[*]You can't drink too much water in Colorado. Despite downing what seems like gallons of water, I still feel more dried out than a saltine cracker. I guess that's what happens when it's 85 degrees out and humidity is only at ten percent.[*]While I know why they split up the vehicles into three groups for practice, it's kind of a shame. You have to choose between seeing a different set of vehicles or seeing a different area of the track. I chose to stick with the same group since I wanted to follow the battle between Millen and Tajima.[*]The spectators here are insane. There are basically no rules for where you can or can't stand, so just about anyone can stand a foot off the road while the cars fly by. Sideways. Towards a cliff.[/list]While it couldn't top my incredible experience the previous day, the third day of practice brought plenty of excitement. The lower portion of the course has huge stretches of pavement that provide plenty of space for the drivers to fully open it up, and even more importantly, it's this section that serves as qualifying for the race. The top qualifier in the Unlimited class gets to choose when he wants to start on race day, which can be of huge importance if weather comes into play. Follow the jump to learn how the last day of practice went, whether any of the drivers think they have a chance at breaking the elusive ten minute mark and a few choice words from Millen and Tajima.

Gallery: Pikes Peak 2010: Practice Day 3 and Qualifying





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http://www.usacracing.com/ppihc/ppihc_live

live video coverage right here.

 

We have been watching it for almost 2 hours! Its been really interesting to watch. We are looking forward to see Rhys run!! Fingers crossed that the rain holds off until then!!!

 

yeah me too! of course F1 in between and now i'm back. has Rhys already run?

 

NO he is next but hasn't gotten to the starting line yet! oh man the waiting is gonna kill me. The monster didn't get the record.

 

yeah especially when it's not televised!! it's hard to believe Tajima didn't beat the record.

they're bringing him up woo! here we go!! i hope his transmission doesn't blow. i bet they've been working all night to repair it.

 

Its been hit and miss with life feeds but you can listen to it live http://www.krdo.com/141736/page.html

 

Thank you!! bowdown.gif Funny they called it the Batmobile. All the people were looking at it. It's always great when a manufacturer shows up at one of these events.

 

Yeah!! It was great to hear about the difference between his car and his dad's car!!