Hankook to sponsor Rhys Millen at 2015 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

Hankook Tyres will be making a comeback in the 2015 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The tyre maker will be sponsoring three drivers  - Rhys Millen, Danny George and Canaan O'Connell. The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the second oldest race in the USA after Indianapolis 500. It was first held in 1916.

Rhys Millen will race with a Drive eO PPO3, an all-electric, all-wheel drive machine, in the Electric class. It will use a 50 kwh lithium-ion battery powering six electric motors to produce 1360 hp and 1500 pound feet of torque. Danny George will be using a Mazda Miata with rear-wheel drive setup in the Rear-Wheel-Drive Time Attack class while Canaan O'Connell will pilot a modded Mitsubishi Evolution in the All-Wheel-Drive Time attack class.

All these race cars will run on Hankook Ventus race tyres which are the best performance products in the company's portfolio. It is designed to deliver optimal performance on circuit as well as on the street.

Millen said, “The exciting part is that our team is experienced, the car is amazing and I am hopeful we will make history. In the past, I have relied on Hankook tyres to provide class wins and overall wins and this year, our goal is to make history together by becoming the first electric car to ever win overall at Pikes Peak and beat all combustion engine vehicles in doing so.”

The activities of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb started on June 22 with technical inspections which will be followed by four days of practice and qualifying. The final race will take place on June 28.