Carpooling N. Santos: “Pikes Peak, a very intense adventure”

Norbert Santos may have handed over the reins (to his daughter Camille and engineer Guillem Roux for the Norma M30 and to Duqueine for the LM P3), the Pyrenees remains passionate about motorsport. The founder of Norma took AUTOhebdo for a trip around St-Pé-de-Bigorre (Hautes-Pyrénées) aboard his Mercedes 230 SL Pagode, to read in issue 2266 of AUTOhebdo.

This landscape that we are crossing reminds me of Pikes Peak, which you won twice with Romain Dumas. For the adventure side, you must have been served.

Pikes Peak is THE legendary hill climb. The reference. In fact, we are currently refurbishing the 20 winning M2014 RD Limited for a collector.

How was a human-sized structure like yours able to tackle this challenge?

À 3 heures du matin, alors que je revenais d’une séance d’essais avec Nicolas Schatz, dans le Massif Central, je me suis arrêté dans une petite station-service. De l’autre côté de la pompe, une voiture s’arrête. Qui en sort ? Romain Dumas ! Il revenait d’une journée de tests pour Michelin. C’était peu de temps après sa première tentative, avec une Porsche 911 GT3 (en 2012. Ndlr).

The discussion begins. “I looked at you, it made me dream,” I told him. Why not organize something together? » We entered the station for a coffee, then another, and talked for a long time. I had booked a hotel but I was no longer sleepy, I rushed to the workshop! In the morning, I said to Guillem Roux (his engineer. Editor's note): “We're going to do Pikes Peak. » He thought I was crazy.

What memories do you have of Pikes Peak?

Humanly, it was a wonderful time. It’s not a hill climb like any other. The arrival is at an altitude of more than 4000 meters, the tests are carried out in sections. At two in the morning you find yourself in the forest waiting for the sun to rise and praying for the fog to disappear!

On a mechanical level, it is the test of all dangers. Error is not allowed, while the staff on site is reduced. There were only 10 of us watching over Romain's car. We lived in the same house, although sleep was rare! My first year (in 2014. Editor’s note), I didn’t go to bed for the first four days. At night, we climb in the cold, during the day we descend to Colorado Springs where it is over 30 degrees. It's a very intense adventure, with very complicated working conditions.

But Romain, you knew him from before, right?

Exact. I met him in the French Formula Championship Renault 20 years ago. It came close to rolling on a Norma chassis. I had discovered a man full of qualities, particularly human qualities, which means a lot to me. Our common story is not over. I need to live with projects, and since Romain has two a day...