Video: Epic Pikes Peak face-off – Monster Tajima vs Rod Millen

11th February 2022

Henry Biggs

Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, aka 'The Race to the Clouds', is celebrating its 100^th running this year so an appropriate excuse – as if one were needed – to take a look at some footage from a quarter of a century ago. Yes, sorry to break it to you, the mid-‘90s really was that long ago.

This appealingly lo-fi video is seemingly compiled from both US and Japanese TV footage, meaning that the commentary bafflingly switches languages back and forth but is no less entertaining for it. That is in no small part due to the fact that this is 'proper' Pikes Peak with the cars still running to the top on dirt roads, enormous rooster tails of dust hanging in the air behind them.

This particular video has been spliced together to pit Rod Millen's Toyota Celica against Nobuhiro Tajima in a Suzuki Escudo. Well, vague approximations of those two road cars at least. Who wins? We'll let you find out.

Welcome to Goodwood Elevenses, a mid-morning helping of motoring-related amusement to help break up your day. Watch the last video: This four‑way battle is the best Le Mans race ever