New Zealand-born driver Rhys Millen came home second in class and fourth overall over the weekend in the 99th running of the Pikes Peak Hillclimb in Colorado.
Millen, a champion drifter and ex-rallycross driver, steered a Bentley Continental GT3 up the famed mountain.
This year’s course was shorter than usual renditions due to snow and ice at the summit, meaning record-breaking runs were impossible.
The Continental GT3 Millen was driving set a blistering time over the first two sectors and was 12 seconds up on the Time Attack 1 field.
In the final sector, a boost pressure drama cost Millen nearly 20 seconds in time, and he ended up finishing second in class with a 6.36.281s.
The time was the fastest racecar using sustainable fuel in the event.
“We know we had the pace today both to win our class, and to break the Time Attack 1 record,” said Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, Paul Williams.
“The weather sadly wasn’t with us though, with the shortened course meaning our assault on the record was never a possibility.
“While that’s a bitter pill to swallow, I’m proud to have entered such a strong renewably-powered racecar – the fastest at the event – and equally proud of the team that’s delivered this project.”
The car Millen was driving was a souped-up version of the Continental GT3 race model.
It features a 4.0-litre turbocharged V8 punching out 750bhp.
Interestingly, the steering wheel in the car is essentially a video game controller designed by sim-racing specialists Fanatec.
The overall winner of this year’s Hillclimb was Robin Shute in his 2018 Wolf GB08 TSC-LT.
