In a remarkable rookie debut [much like our mate Duncan Cowper did several years ago] at the renowned Pikes Peak International Hill Climb – Jim Morris, owner of Lifeline Fire & Safety Systems, made history by setting a new Front-Wheel Drive (FWD) record.
SMILE JIM, YOU’RE A WORLD RECORD HOLDER. BIG CONGRATULATIONS, THOUGH
Starting 35th in the running order, Jim tackled the legendary 12.42-mile course, conquering its 156 demanding turns and ascending to a breathtaking 14,115 feet.
In the lead-up to the event, Jim devoted three weeks to familiarising himself with the mountain’s unique challenges, carefully driving the route in a rental car [bad luck for whoever hire’s that out – ed] to learn each twist, turn and bump of the unique course. During practice week, his skill was tested on the three separate sections, but race day marked his first full-speed attempt at the entire mountain course.
Behind the wheel of a custom-built Volkswagen Golf GTI, Jim’s target was to surpass the previous FWD record of 10:48.094 – set in 2018 – and at just before 11:00am local time, he launched his record-breaking run. Crossing the finish line 10:33.104 later, the existing record had been beaten by nearly 15 seconds, marking an extraordinary achievement for both driver and team.
This performance was made all the more impressive as one of the two competing front wheel drive Time Attack Honda’s was edged out by a mere 0.07 seconds, securing Jim’s place in Pikes Peak history and showcasing the capabilities of his Lifeline-backed machine.
Commenting on his record run Jim said: “We set out over four years ago to design and build the ultimate front wheel drive car to tackle Pikes Peak and break the existing front wheel drive record. Today we achieved that, bringing the record to the UK. I would like to thank everyone who has helped and supported this great team effort”.
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