Versatile Australian driver, Jeff Denmeade, is preparing for another crack – his third – at the world’s best known, and most notorious, hill climb, known simply across the motorsport world as Pikes Peak.
Denmeade has entered a highly modified Honda Integra built by Sydney Honda Specialist BYP and will tackle the rarefied air of the 19.99km, 156-turn Colorado climb, with Honda Racing USA.
The 93rd running of Pikes Peak will take place on Sunday, June 28.
Denmeade says the 550-horsepower pocket rocket BYP Integra lays claim to being Australia’s fastest Honda and fastest FWD car in Australia after its standout performances at the World Time Attack.
Depending on which class into which the organisers place the Integra, Denmeade believes it is a potential class winner.
“Yes, that’s not improbable,” said Denmeade. “The class win is a target but getting it to the top is the priority.
“If we get to the top unscathed, our goal is to take the class win and become the fastest FWD car and fastest Honda car ever up Pikes Peak.”
Denmeade’s looking forward to working closely with Honda Racing’s HPD engineers out of Santa Clarita, California, and plans to be ultra fit to allow his body to better cope with the exertions of driving in the thin air at 4300 metres.
At Honda’s request, the Integra will run under the car giant’s Acura premium brand in the US.
Denmeade last competed in an Australian-built Honda-powered Skelta at Pikes Peak in 2012, an eventful year when damaging wildfires forced a postponement.
When the running proceeded, many drivers and riders struggled with the newly laid bitumen, several hurling over the edge.
Punching way above their weight, Denmeade and co-driver Catherine Hammond snatched third in class even though the weather turned on the Skelta within five kilometres of the finish.
In 2010, when the ‘climb was a mix of bitumen and dirt, Denmeade and Hammond contested Pikes Peak in a MeadeSports built Mitsubishi Evo Turbo, taking out the Time Attack Class and setting a new qualifying mark.
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