Ducati wins Pikes Peak International Hill Climb for third consecutive year.
Carlin Dunne dominated the 2012 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, setting the new course record for motorcycles from pole position for the second year in a row on a Ducati Multistrada 1200 S. This win marks Ducati’s third-straight victory at the historic “Race to the Clouds”.
Both Dunne and Spider Grips Ducati teammate and six-time winner Greg Tracy finished the race under the 10-minute barrier, which is a first for any motorcycle in the race’s 90-year history. 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.
High flying Ducati.
“Today was an emotional day,” said Dunne. “The year of work the Spider Grips Ducati team put into preparing for Pikes Peak got us across the finish line in under 10 minutes, an achievement we’re very proud of. When we heard that we won and broke the record for the second time, I was speechless. The one-two finish proves the Ducati Multistrada 1200 S is the ultimate bike to conquer Pikes Peak.”
Dunne reached speeds above 144 mph (230 kph) throughout the mountain’s straights, and traversed 156 turns, ranging from hairpin, blind, decreasing radius, and multi-apex turns, while consistently gaining elevation up the technical 12.42 mile (20 km) course. The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, or “Race to the Clouds”, is situated in a range of the Rocky Mountains, 16 km west of Colorado Springs and races from a start line altitude of 2,862 meters (9,389 ft) to a finish line at 4,300 meters (14,100 ft).
Rhys Millen world record Pikes Peak Hyundai Genesis.
“Ducatisti around the world are celebrating the victory of Carlin Dunne and the Spider Grips Ducati Team – we are all very proud,” said Dominique Cheraki, General Manager of Ducati North America. “Three years ago we chose the Multistrada 1200 S to compete at Pikes Peak to showcase its on-and-off road capabilities, class-leading ergonomics, handling, and performance. When we were alerted that the entire course would be paved in 2012, there was no doubt that the Multistrada 1200 S was still the right choice and breaking the record today proves this.”
Pikes Peak is a phenomenal hill climb with sheer drop-offs on both sides of the climb on its way to the top.
However, that sub-10 minute time was beaten by the four wheel entrants, with outright winner Rhys Millen claiming yet another world record and overall victory. Millen set a blazing pace in his race-prepared Hyundai Genesis Coupe, setting the new record time at 9:46.164.
The Millens have had almost a mortgage on this event, with Rod Millen (Rhys’ father) also a winner many times over.
