To the story itself--Chad Hord, once again Nissan sponsored in the TORC short-course series will be entering a stock Nissan Leaf in the electric vehicle class at the 2011 Pikes Peak race. Right now there are only two entries and Hord's Leaf is the only production vehicle of the two.
With the recent showing at the New York International Auto show last week of the Leaf Racing Concept vehicle and now with the Leaf in its stock form to at least enter a world class race I think Nissan is attempting to show that electric vehicles can be more than just the newest toy to be shown off at the local PTA meeting or "green" showpiece. Furthermore...as always...racing betters the breed. Putting the Leaf through a demanding event like Pikes can only help Nissan learn more about the improvements needed for later generations.
Press release as well as pictures of Hord's Nissan Titan Pro2 that will be racing in TORC this year and recently saw updates to give it the proper Nissan look. Lastly is the soon to be released Traxxas body for the Slayer and Slash that will mimic Hord's ride--it will be the first Nissan body (though the grill is not a Nissan match, to come out for the short course R/C racers...
Chad Hord Will Pilot New All-Electric Nissan Leaf At The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb On June 26
Colorado Springs, April 25----------With electric automobiles popping up like dandelions across the landscape of American driving, it's no surprise that they will be part of the field at the 89th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 26.
The latest entrant in the Electric Division is professional racer Chad Hord (Felch, Michigan), who will be driving a stock 2011 Nissan Leaf at Pikes Peak, with its high response 110 hp, 80kW AC synchronous electric motor capable of delivering speeds as much as 90 miles per hour.
The all-electric Nissan Leaf was named the 2011 World Car of The Year at the New York Auto Show on Thursday last week.
The Leaf, which went on sale in the United States in December and is also available in Japan and Europe, beat the BMW 5-Series and the Audi A8 for the top spot.
Hord's competition on the mountain this year is the returning Electric champion, Ikuo Hanawa of Japan, who will drive his Concept two-wheel drive 2010 Custom Summit HER-02 model again this summer.
His Yokohama tire equipped EV won the Electric Exhibition class with a time of 13:17:575, a 93-second improvement over its time from 2009. That mark shattered the previous Pikes Peak EV record, set by Jeri Unser in 2003, by 65 seconds.
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, which began in 1916, is America's second oldest motor sports race behind the Indy 500. The race is staged on a 12.42 mile course with 156 turns. It begins at 9,390 feet and ends at the famous mountain's 14,110 foot summit above Colorado Springs.
A featured event along with the race, is the popular "Fan Fest," which takes place on Friday evening, June 24, in downtown Colorado Springs, with more than 30,000 fans on hand to meet the competitors, see the autos and motorcycles, and enjoy music, food and entertainment.
Ticket prices begin at $40.00, with a Family Four-Pack available at $125.00 and VIP admission priced at $80.00. Tickets, limited camping permits and all other race information is available at www.ppihc.com
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