536 Oakland Romaro Pikes Peak Special (1913/16) by Robert Knight Via Flickr: Oakland Romaro Pikes Peak Special (1913/16) Engine 8240 Curtis Ox- 5 V8 Competition Number 143 David Bond Competition Class Class 7 Edwardian Cars Owner M R Sharpe This car is an exact replica of the car that won the inaugral Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 1916 The first Pikes Peak Hillclimb in 1916 was won by sixteen year old Rea Lentz with a time of 20:55.60, driving the Romano Special powered by a V8 Curtiss aircraft engine and built by the renowned aero engine automobile specialist Eugene (Jean) Romano The road, at the time was just loose granite, crushed and graded and hangs over the mountainside, the course starts at 9,395 feet above sea level, and rises a further 4,720 ft (1,440 mtrs) to 14,115 ft (4,302 m), on grades averaging 7.2% over its 12.42 mile length taking in 156 bends, mostly hairpin bends. Pikes Peak is the second oldest motor racing event in America, behind the Indianapolis 500. As of August 2011, the highway is fully paved; as a result, all subsequent events will be run on asphalt from start to finish In 1989, an award-winning short film about the 1988 event was released by French director Jean-Louis Mourey. The film, titled Climb Dance, captured the efforts of Finnish former World Rally Champion Ari Vatanen, as he won the event in a record-breaking time of 10 minutes and 47 seconds, with his turbocharged Peugeot 405 Turbo 16 SADLY ON THE 24th MAY 1925,THE MUCH LOVED AND RESPECTED MOTORSPORTS COMPETITOR JULIAN GRIMWALDE LOST HIS LIFE IN A TRAGIC ACCIDENT AT DONNINGTON PARK, WHILE AT THE WHEEL OF THIS CAR. JULIAN WAS A LARGER THAN LIFE FIGURE AND A TRUE GENTLEMAN AND WILL BE SADLY MISSED BY EVERYONE. SINCERCE CONDOLENCES TO HIS MANY FREINDS AND FAMILY. Diolch am 96,879,705 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr. Thanks for 96,879,705 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated. Shot 07.08.2022, at the VSCC Prescott Speed Hill Climb, Prescott, Gloucestershire REF 162-536
