The 2012 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is now a roadrace. The entire course was run as a paved road for the first time in the history of the event. Not surprisingly, records fell as the previously slippery and treacherous unpaved upper course is now smooth tarmac. Most interesting to this observer was the fact that the Ducati Multistrada 1200 S, ridden to victory by Carlin Dunne, finished with a time just a few seconds off the new course record for unlimited automobiles. Here is a press release from Pirelli:
Rome, Georgia, August 14, 2012 – Pirelli put the power to the ground for Team Spider Grips Ducati Sunday at the 90th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, delivering an historic 1-2 punch on the famed course. Pirelli is the tire of choice for Team Spider Grips Ducati, and Carlin Dunne put the hand cut slicks to good use by dominating the 2012 “Race to the Clouds” field, setting the new course record for motorcycles on Sunday from pole position for the second consecutive year on a Ducati Multistrada 1200 S. Teammate Greg Tracy was close behind Dunne, and earned second place on the podium. Both riders’ blistering sub-10 minute paces put them at third and fourth overall for the entire field of motorcycles, cars and ATVs.
Dunne crossed the finish line at the 14,110-foot summit of Pikes Peak with the record-setting time of 9:52.819, beating his previous record of 11:11.32, while Tracy was less than six seconds behind, placing second with 9:58.262.
After seeing this years results, just wait till next year when the full-on Turbo Busa’s and other top notch sportbikes show up prepped for the hill with tons of torque, gumball tires and traction control. And we thought the Group 5 type rally cars were dangerous! I predict that next year will bring on an onslaught of new technoligy for both 1, 2 & 4 wheel drive vehicles. A whole new clan will evolve as the dirt car dynasty unfortunitly dies away.
“if god meant for man to race on pavement, he woulda covered the world with concrete”
Thank the Sierra Club for the paving.
I was bummed it was paved too, but read the Engineering assessment, and it appears if they hadn’t paved it the road would have had to have been closed due to erosion from runoff and ultimately access to the summit by that route lost. Shame though, certainly took away a lot of the charm of that race.
I think that means it’s cheaper to pave then to continue to maintain/rebuild the dirt road. Erosion due to runoff is nothing new there.
You should have seen the crash pictures on the news last night in Denver. It may be paved, but it’s also narrower.
Lame as hell they paved it, sideways on pavement ain’t like in the dirt. If you never at least drove that road when it was dirt you will have no appreciation for how hairy racing up it was. Guess I’ll have to ride my chopper up it now.
I read that the top bike, a Fuglystrada of all things, was only 10sec behind 1st placed highly tuned car.
I say bring on the liquid-cooled streetfighters (I wonder if a Tuono has a big enough fuel tank) next year.
Behind a 900 hp car. Not sure how much faster a true sportbike will get up there than the Multistrada does. But the record will fall.
Fuglystrada! I wet myself or threw-up in my mouth I can’t remember which laughing so hard. That is some funny funny stuff and I’m sure it will be the first 5,0000 times I read it on the internet. New and creative uses for fugly are guaranteed to be hilarious.
What does Rome, GA have to do with this?
And are you kidding me with these Captchas? I had to cycle through about 20 to see one that a human could read.
RichardU: Rome, GA is the headquarter city of Pirelli Tires North America. I guess it’s standard stuff when you put out a press release to do that.
They need to go to numerical captchas. I have no idea what mine says to post this.
paving’s dumb.
Yeah, I agree, I’m sad its all paved now too. Why use a dual sport or adventure bike at all now? And what “glory” does this bring to Ducati and their Multi Strada adventure bike when the road is all paved now? Bring on the 600 super sports. -Tutt
Good on ya Ducati. Sorta sad its all paved now, tho. Seems lees dangerous, but who knows….
Still pretty dangerous for Jeremy Foley and co-driver Yuri Kouznetsov in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. http://youtu.be/zEUrEPPABbY And from in-car video http://youtu.be/VGbiEutz4Ao
No joke, saw that shortly after my post. Crazy! Glad they were OK (for the most part).