Millen Peaks at Right Time

Defending Unlimited Class champion and overall record-holder Rod Millen was the fastest driver in Saturday’s 76th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb near Colorado Springs, Colo.

Millen raced a hybrid Toyota Tacoma up the 12.42-mile gravel road to the 14,110-foot summit in 10 minutes 7.70 seconds, shy of his 1974 record run of 10:04.06.

Nobuhiro Tajima of Japan was second in the Unlimited Class at 10:32.57 in a Suzuki Sidekick, and Bobby Regester of Florissant was third at 10:59.32 in a highly modified Chevrolet Corvette.

Mike Ryan of North Hollywood established a Big Rig Trucks standard of 14:30.87 in a modified Freightliner.

Gary Lee Kanawyer of Pismo Beach, Calif., won his fourth consecutive Open Wheel championship by reaching the summit in 10:57.19 in a Chevrolet-powered Wells Coyote.

*

Mike Bliss, the preseason favorite in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series who has had an erratic season, won the Diehard 200 at The Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wis., by two seconds over Jimmy Hensley.

Bliss, who averaged 104.348 mph, caught and passed Hensley on lap 141 and held the lead the rest of the race.

*

Elton Sawyer, the fastest qualifier for the NASCAR Busch Series Diehard 250 at West Allis, Wis., was dropped to the rear of the field for today’s race when the fuel he used failed a post-race inspection.

Until the violation was discovered, Sawyer’s lap of 120 mph in a Ford had made him the 16th driver in 17 Busch series races to win the pole position. He will start in the 41st position.

With the disqualification, the pole went to Jeff Purvis, who had a lap of 119.904 mph in a Chevrolet.

*

Daytona International Speedway was alive with action Saturday night. Sadly, it had nothing to do with the stock car race that was supposed to be run under the new lights.

Instead of 180,000 spectators and a full compliment of Winston Cup teams and drivers, the sprawling speedway was playing host to National Guard troops, firefighters and hundreds of people evacuated from their Florida homes.

The National Guard is using the speedway as a command post and a distribution center for its efforts in fighting the fires and protecting the local area.