Ford Fiesta Pikes Peak
The Olsbergs/MSE Team have been very busy with the preparations for the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb 2009.
The cars are for the moment airborne, but on a plane towards USA, this after some intense days of testing. The test was performed on different surfaces from a race-track to gravel roads just to prepare for the different conditions they will face on the mountain.
Pikes Peak International Hillclimb is one of the oldest and most legendary motorsports events in the world. The race is run on a 12.42 mile course with 156 turns that begins at 9,390 feet and finishes at the 14,110 foot summit of America’s Mountain; Pikes Peak! This puts stress on both man and machinery as the air get thinner as higher they reach; making engines loosing power and it just get harder to breathe. So this is a challenge with out anything like it around the globe.
The two Olsbergs/MSE Ford Fiestas are based on the Div 1 Rallycross Ford Fiesta 2009 Andreas Eriksson use in the European Rallycross Championship but with a number of modifications.
The power output is increased to an impressive 850 + Bhp from the Div1 cars 600 and delivering a monstrous level of 900 + Nm of torque, this thanks to a larger Turbo without any restrictor. But the most significant changes on the car is the massive Aero-package with a carbon fibre splitter in front and a huge rear wing. This to create loads of down force to keep the Fiesta on track. It was necessary to fit and extra fuel-cell for the extra fuel needed. The PPIHC cars has a modified exhaust system with any noise restraints so you can imagine how it sounds on full throttle in action, its awesome on 9000 Rpm.
Both Andreas Eriksson and Marcus Grönholm enjoyed to cars very much, and Marcus comments after his first laps on the race track was; -I like this car, a lot. It handles very very well, it has a precise steering just how I like it and it has plenty of power. Maybe I would prefer little more torque on the lower revs but I have to floor it. Well it feels really good, as this new gearbox and linkage it’s delicate so I’m pretty convinced this will be good, Marcus ends.
Before Andreas and Marcus do catch the plane to US Andreas will take on the competition in ERC at the Höljes track in Sweden. He will have company in the paddock in Höljes by the Norwegian WRC star Henning Solberg who will do his ERC come back in his MSE Div1 Ford Fiesta.
The race to the clouds at Pikes Peak will go off on the 19: Th of July.
http://teamrs.aeston.no/?vis=nyhet&id=4814
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Originally Posted by Cotterik
