No Record, but Donner Wins at Pikes Peak

Hometown racer David Donner won the open wheel class in Thursday’s Pikes Peak Hill Climb at Colorado Springs, Colo., posting the fastest time of the day, but falling short of the record set two years ago by his late brother.

Earlier, Rod Millen won the open class, bettering the old standard by more than a minute during the 69th running of the race up the 14,110-foot mountain.

Donner’s time of 11:12.42, while fastest of the day, was 11 seconds shy of the mark set two years ago by his brother, Robert Donner III. Robert Donner set the class record of record of 11:01.41 shortly before he was killed in the Teller County Hill Climb.

Donner was clocked at 123 m.p.h. through the Picnic Grounds straightaway and at 110 m.p.h. through the Glen Cove straightaway.

Millen, who set the production class record here in 1989, completed the 12.5-mile mountain road circuit in an unofficial 11:51.37, shattering the mark of 13:08.86 set last year by Dick Dodge.

Millen, a New Zealander who lives in Newport Beach, drove a 2-liter Mazda rotary-engine RX-7 to the victory.

The race begins at 9,402 feet elevation on the mountain west of Colorado Springs and climbs 4,708 feet, making 156 turns over 12.5 miles of dirt road to the 14,110-foot summit.