Mention Pikes Peak to any motorsport fan right now and the likelihood is they will think Peugeot and Sebastien Loeb. A combination of the iconic
T16
wild appearance of the 208
historic livery
, plus a rally legend at the wheel has ensured huge attention for Peugeot's comeback.
Now, after testing in France, Loeb and the 208 T16 have made their first practice runs up the 12.42-mile Colorado course. After bench-testing the engine and signing off set-up tweaks, Loeb and his co-driver Daniel Elena drove the hillclimb nine times so that a 'precise mental pace note' could be made for each of the 156 corners. All drivers ride solo at the main event.
Who'd bet against Loeb? Well, a few...
Loeb and the 208 T16 were fastest of all the competitors in a pair of timed sessions that split the course in two. However, last year's winner Rhys Millen could spoil Peugeot's party come June 30. His lack of competitive times over the test weekend was attributed to requiring familiarisation with a new car. That's before father Rod and his
wild Toyota
After the test event, Loeb said "I feel very confident with the car... We are already getting close to the limit in many places. All we need to do now is make some detail changes and we will be ready for the Big Day!".
There will be three more official practice sessions before said Big Day, now just over two weeks away. Furthermore, ignoring the Loeb/Millen duel for a second, don't forget 'Monster' Tajima is competing this year too. He was the first man to break the 10-minute barrier at Pikes Peak, and isn't too be underestimated.