Aussie sports car blitzes Pikes Peak
Australian-made sports car the Skelta G-Force scores podium finish in Pikes Peak qualifyingA home-made sports car built by a Toowoomba-battler has qualified second in its class and fifth overall at the 90th running of Pikes Peak, the world’s premier hill climb event.
Driving the two-seater, 2.0-litre supercharged Skelta G-Force sports car built by Toowoomba rally driver and businessman Ray Vandersee, Sydney racer Jeff Denmeade put the Skelta on the podium in his class on day one of practice for the legendary event.
Running against the factory-fettled Porsche RS-R of 2010 LeMans Champion Romain Dumas, which claimed the fastest overall qualifying time, Denmeade’s effort was hugely impressive.
“We can come out of this maybe not overly pleased with the result, but very happy with the effort,” said Denmeade. “The impressive part is we have given Australia's Skelta its first ever podium in qualifying at this iconic event, the first for an Australian made vehicle.”
Racing in slippery conditions on a ‘green’ road, and with an oil spill causing additional dramas, Denmeade and navigator, Catherine Hammond drove brilliantly to the conditions.
“The Skelta's high speed balance and aero was simply terrific, even on the bad off-camber higher speed corners, the car just gripped,” Denmeade said.
Two days of practice remain before the main event on Sunday, US time. The annual race will no doubt prove a welcome distraction for the people of Pikes Peak and nearby Colorado Springs, after devastating bushfires there forced the evacuation of more than 30,000 people in late June.
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