PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association is pleased to announce that a financial contribution from American Honda will fund the deployment of Roadracing World Action Fund soft barriers along sections of the 12.42-mile race course for The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Brought to you by Gran Turismo.
“With the support of both Honda and the Roadracing World Action Fund, we’re able to deploy soft barriers for the 100th anniversary of the Race to the Clouds,” said AMA Director of Racing Bill Cumbow. “As with all AMA-sanctioned events, safety is a priority and these barriers can significantly reduce rider injuries in the event of a crash.”
The AMA co-sanctions the motorcycle portion of the event with the PPIHC. The soft barriers, known by their trade name Airfence, will remain in place during the event for other non-car disciplines, as well.
“Safety is of paramount importance to Honda and we are proud to again partner with the AMA and the Roadracing World Action Fund to provide Airfence safety barriers at The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb,” said Honda R&D Americas Inc. Principal Engineer, Engine Research, James Robinson. “We are confident that the Airfence safety barriers — together with the PPIHC’s new Race Smart program — will help ensure a safe experience for this year’s participants in this historic racing event.”
The soft barriers are air-filled cushions designed to protect motorcycle and ATV riders in the case of an crash. This is the third year in a row that Honda, the Roadracing World Action Fund and the AMA have worked together to provide soft barriers for Pikes Peak. Motorcycle Roadracing Association Track Marshal and Equipment Manager Rick Grosse will supervise a crew of six to eight workers who will deploy the soft barriers at Pikes Peak.
“We’re happy to provide the AMA and The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with 14 soft barriers to deploy at this year’s event,” said John Ulrich, founder and president of the Roadracing World Action Fund. “The purpose of the Roadracing World Action Fund is to help improve rider safety, and deploying this Airfence will make a significant difference. We’d like to thank all the individuals and companies who have contributed to the Roadracing World Action Fund over the years for making this and other deployments possible.”
The Roadracing World Action Fund, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization with a mission to help reduce rider injuries, provides soft barriers deployed at road race and dirt-track events. The inflated barriers are positioned in front of walls and other trackside obstacles and work like airbags to reduce the force of impact in the event of a rider crash.
The Roadracing World Action Fund was founded in 2001 and relies on charitable donations to deploy soft barriers at sanctioned events nationwide. To donate, or for more information about the charity, see http://actionfund.roadracingworld.com.
