The fabled “10-minute barrier” in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has been under attack for years. Today it finally gave way as veteran driver Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima drove his hopped-up Suzuki SX4 Hill Climb Special with more than 900 horsepower up the 12.42-mile mountain race course in 9 minutes, 51 seconds.

In 2007 Tajima set the previous record of 10 minutes, one second — painfully close to a sub-10-minute run. That year’s performance seemed to indicate the barrier would fall soon — perhaps the following year. But people familiar with the Pikes Peak contest know that past performance is no guarantee of future results. When Rod Millen set a record of 10 minutes, four seconds in 1994, it wound up standing for 13 years.