ROD..FKN HELLON WHEELS...MILLAN....im from New Zealand this man is one of our icons..another crazy kiwi on wheels...go hard or go home ya geeza ahahahaha..if i meet ya ill shout the brew boss
Please, Please can you do the same and you cover the Celica ? Im not even halfway thru the vid and i already love the story and how its told. Thank you Larry Chen !
I am a 65 year old New Zealander. Rod Millen was/is my hero from my young days. I remember him giving the works Fiat Abarth 131's a major hurry-up driving his Mazda RX3 in the Heatway Rally. That Mazda was an amazing car with an awesome sound, and was the catalyst for me owning two different RX3's when I was in my 20's
My brother drove a stock Toyota Celica 1600 in the Heatway with The Fiats and Rod etc. and he won the stock class his first big rally out. I remember hearing Rod’s RX3… cause you could hear the rotary coming from a mile away. Good memories indeed. That and a white Whitcolls mini.
I think it was 1977. Rod did a demonstration run at Mystery Creek with Miss Waikato as his passenger. He came off the tarmac sideways at over 100mph. He had to flick it a few times to loose speed for the hairpin. Orange cones were going everywhere. At first I thought that he had lost it. I will never forget the commentator. Rod Millen has just been clocked coming of the tarmac sideways at 104mph and you should see the look on Miss Waikatos face.
@@kelvinrf He is an amazing talent. If I remember correctly, he started out with a V6 beach buggy in hill climbs etc. But they were so quick it got banned because it was embarrassing all the expensive rally cars etc. So then he bought the RX3 and still blitzed everyone. He basically went to the USA with nothing, started winning rallies in a hired MkII Escort, and built up a multi-million dollar company. A truly incredible guy.
Really great Larry. Brings back many memories. I was the PPIHC official photographer back in 1999 & 2000. Watching Rod and "the monster" Tajima go at it was amazing. I remember having an impromptu breakfast with Rod after one of the morning practice sessions; he just drives up to the press tent in his Tacoma and says in his New Zealand accent, "you fellas got room at your table? I'm hungry." Great times.
My Pops would have loved to have seen Rod Millen go up Pikes Peak. They would be the same age and just as my Dad was my Hero, Mr. Millen has always been an inspiration to me. Good Luck Rod and Godspeed!
@@ThatsMe4723 Nice! I have another yellow/black one and a red/black one. I'm not sure how many there were in total. I will have to keep my eye out for the HW livery, that would be rad.
I'm feeling overwhelmed with gratitude that this even happened. I grew up in love with this truck so it's been surreal exploring it in depth. It is so much more impressive than I would've ever imagined. Thank you Larry and Rod. Wow.
I'm 62 and I've known this man through his racing since I was 18. Never met the man and probably never will, but your interview with him made me feel like I sat and talked with him personally. You captured him as the absolute stellar human being that he is. Thanks and keep up the good work.
I knew a lot of people in Rods circle in my younger days.. fast forward many years and I was driving around the mountains in Hahei New Zealand and saw a billboard with an ad for what turned out to be Rod Millens hill climb event. It was such a weird feeling because I was literally making his Celica blow off valve sounds while driving a cheap lil Suzuki rental. I had no idea Rod moved back to NZ and he was living in Hahei. It was such a weird feeling. My wife thought I had lost my mind. The universe has yet again brought me to this. I just got off the phone with an old friend who worked for Rod and Rhys by the name of Josh. What a crazy world.... Not sure what to do. I think it's a sign I need to move to NZ.
Rod is a true NZ motorsport legend. His history in this sport also diserves a mention forsure. Having been to his place in Hahei at the Leadfoot festival, I can guarantee you will absolutely enjoy the event Lary. Helicopter, motor home or sail into the venue premo weekend of fun. Great video, loved it✔️
I worked at TMS in Torrance when this was racing. Ivan Stewart was also racing his Toyota trucks at the same time. It was an awesome era. Millen and Stewart, legends!
I'm a year younger than Rod and I'm truly impressed that he's gonna get back into the seat of that beast -- -- I sold my Turbo charged 400HP Karmann Ghia last year because it was getting a lot faster than I was... Thanks @LarryChen for shooting this. I've always loved your photos, but I always knew your true format should be video....
What an amazing machine. They basically worked out the problems current f1 ground effect cars have without using an “active” suspension and on an offroad car. Just insane engineering and driving. Must be a monster to drive!
What an absolutely legendary driver and racecar. I would love to attend a Pike’s Peak race someday! Getting to see this thing run in person is on my bucket list for sure. Much love from Texas!
The engineering on this iconic race car is nothing but extraordinary. The amount of time and trial and error in this is fascinating! I loved watching this truck make its famous run
My ticket is purchased … t-minus 75 days baby!!! Will be my first time attending since PPIHC was fully paved … so looking forward to see one of my “hero” cars again !!! Maybe this time spectators will be seasoned enough to stay away from the outside of corners and brake zone … wont have to spend half the morning warning people now!! Thanks for this …Hugh fan of the Millen family and Larry Chen … working together , awesome!!!
So cool to see Aussies making legends state side... And yes I know he's actually from New Zealand, but because he's a successful Kiwi, that automatically makes him Australian. That's how it works.
I want this as an rc body so friggin bad. As a pp fan ive always had a love for this unique tacoma build. Ive always wanted to build a mini street truck based off of this beast!
Dude, this is one of the best motorsport videos I have ever seen. I love your content anyhow, but I really want you to know this was amazing. Watching the guy who drove the thing enthusiastically telling you all kinds of random neat stuff about it is as good as it gets. Great work to end up here.
amazing. He is 2 months older than my dad. He just retired after 44 years trucking. when he laugh about something mechanical, the world does too. the primitives for this age group.. it is just amazing. Looking forward to your coverage.
Thanks Larry this guy is a legend of US Motorsports which is interesting him being a Kiwi. He won the SCCA rally in my hometown Chillicothe, OH in the 80s in that Mazda on the wall.
I am just so blown away by what I just whitnessed... Incredible to hear they'd run this again! This is an awesome year for motorsports man, I'm so excited. Mad Mike is coming to PP as well... Uuuuuuuuhhhh!!! Aaaaaaahhhhh!!! ✨👐🏻✨ Larry thank you! 💕
In 1997, multi-time Pikes Peak champion Rod Millen told the Colorado weekly paper Westword that paving the road would be dangerous. "It'd be like running the Long Beach Grand Prix with no barriers between the track and the spectators, and as far as the average tourist goes, the gravel slows them down. It sends the correct message. From a general safety standpoint, it's better to leave it as it is."
This video is like a dream come true. The fact that Rod himself explained the engineering behind this incredible race car makes this a absolute gem. Thank you for this video I ate every second of it
In the late 80's I was riding my motorcycle on one of my favorite roads. The kind where you know every turn and braking point and how fast you've gone through all the turns before. On this particular day an Oldsmobile came up behind me. At the time Olds had started a campaign to appeal to a younger crowd, and ostensibly they were building a bit more sporty auto. The advertising by line was "Not your Fathers Oldsmobile." Picking up the pace a bit the car was sticking with me so I started really trying to lose it. Looking back the car was still sticking with me. Pulling over at the parking area on the end of the road, the Olds pulled in behind me. Getting out of the car I received the highest compliment of my life. The driver said to me "Mate, you really know this road!" Of course the driver was Rod Millen! He had been given the car a day or two before filming on the Bolinas Ridge road to check it out. Something I will never forget! Thanks Rod for a great day in my life! Wonderful video Larry. Thanks....
My subscription to the channel got removed somehow, and for the life of me I couldn't find it again. Fortunately I was watching Ken Block's Pikes Peak car video and this popped in my feed. What a fantastic video!!! Being chosen to capture the race in pics is a huge honor and is well deserved.
I worked for Rod Millen during the transition from the Celica to the Tacoma. It always took the engineers six months to design anything, and then we had six days to manufacture it!! In fact, we had more engineers than fabricators, and machinists. I was the CNC machinist at the time. I worked with a lot of good people there, and especially remember Rod as a good, and kindly boss. I recall a push to get Jeff Wards SODA class truck out the door one late evening. We got the running chassis down onto ground for the first time sitting on its own wheels, and tires. After asking the assembled group if the truck was ready, and looking at every member of the team Rod climbed in wearing his street clothes, fired it up, and with an eager smile took off at full throttle through the rollup door, out into our shop yard, down the driveway, into our cul de sac, and onto a long straight street through our Huntington Beach industrial area. The wheels never stopped spinning as he launched that thing like a cannonball into the world. He pitched it right, right, left, and at the end of the long straight he put it into a very long pirouette rotating this 800HP race truck 180 degrees in a 200 foot spin the last half of which the back tires were spinning madly slowing the truck, but also allowing it to rotate so elegantly on the large diameter BF Goodrich dirt tires. Needless to say once the truck stopped going backwards down the street it came back at us like a rocket starting its full power right hand pirouette into our cul de sac a hundred feet before the corner, then finally coming off the pedal two shorter 90 degree left hand pirouettes right back into the shop through the 12 foot wide rollup door accompanied by our whoops, and cheers of pure excitement at having produced such a beast that only our boss could have put through it's paces without ever having sat behind it's steering wheel. It is a moment I now realize as a high point in my long construction career surrounding high performance cars. To build something like that SODA truck, and have your boss trust his team enough to put it through a run that I know exemplified some of his best ever driving based entirely on his trust in our collective abilities was one of the most satisfying moments of my life, and one of the most thrilling. The sound of those big BF Goodrich's howling throughout that run, the smell of the smoking rubber, and the huge grin on Rod's face as he climbed from the cockpit are the stuff of legends passed from one generation of racers to the next. I for one will never forget.
This was absolutely incredible. The engineering and work that went in to this piece of automotive history is just mind blowing. Thank you for this Larry
Larry, thank you for sharing the passion and curiosity we have about Motorsport. This is a great watch, looking forward to seeing more about this journey to Pikes Peak.
This was just _EXCEPTIONAL_ ... I'm jealous as it is, as a fellow (but strictly amateur) Canon shooter, but geeking out on this unrestricted car wows my engineering mind! I'll be keeping an eye out for coming episodes, for sure.
I saw this run on ESPN or Speedvision back in the day and was amazed by what it was and I still am just as amazed by it now. The 503 engine is such a little beast. Thank you Larry Chen and the Millen's for showing us the underpinnings of this vehicle.
9's on dirt. Amazing. On locked rear and centre diffs. What tha... And that suspension design and packaging. I'll let the 'no actual toyota parts' part slide. Really cool engineering. Love that he is leaving it as it was. It would be worth talking to some of the engineers that helped implement the car! p.s. THANK YOU for holding your excited tounge and letting this guy talk. Harder than it seems sometimes. What a legend.
What a legend. I remember the Pikes Peak, TransAm(?), IMSA, Mikey Thomson Stadium Series, etc. runs back in the late '80s/early '90s. This is so rad! What a fantastic engineering project, super cool race car.
Thank you Larry, brilliant work!! This is a perfect synthesis of older tech and engineering genius! The tech in this rig is incredible, and your questions feel like you are channeling my brain. Bring us more stories like this, you da man!!
Thanks Larry some of the best content I've seen. One of the best build breakdown videos ever on such an amazing car and all explained so well by a kiwi legend.
Larry, thanks for an awesome video covering two absolute legends. The car AND the man!! Being a New Zealander (living in Aus for 2 years) I still have a lot of pride around what we've done in motor racing. This car is right up there with Mad Mike's creations. Cheers heaps! :)
Awesome interview Larry. I am really looking forward to seeing this beast back on the mountain. Rod is a true legend, I wish him all the best on his return to the peak.
