Hillclimb legend Nobuhiro 'Monster' Tajima has won the Pikes Peak race for the third successive year.

The Suzuki WRC boss clocked a time of 10m 18.250s over the 12.5 mile course in his heavily modified (OK, not even slightly production-based) XL7 to become King of the Mountain for the fourth time overall. No other competitor even managed to break the 11-minute barrier.

However, Tajima fell well short of gathering the $25,000 purse offered by the organisers to any driver completing the course in under 10 minutes.

Last year he set a new course record, finishing just a second off the magical 10 minute barrier, and was expected to go quicker this year.

But slippery conditions on the dirt/tarmac course this weekend made a record attempt impossible: the race was red-flagged 14 times - the most in recent memory - while several competitors were hospitalised after falling foul of the steep cliffs of Pikes Peak.

"The car and tyres were perfect, and I couldn't have driven the hill any faster," said Tajima after the race.

"But the conditions were very challenging, especially at the top of the course, so I could never have broken 10 minutes. But I'll be back next year..."

No record then, but at least we'll get to see the 58-year-old with reproductive organs of forged steel have another shot at Pikes Peak next year in his mid-engined 1,000bhp Suzuki. Silver linings and all that...