Akrapovič and Spider Grips/Ducati unite to challenge Pikes Peak International Hill Climb 2012 Akrapovič is pleased to announce a unique partnership with Spider Grips/Ducati in a bid to challenge the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb at the 90th running of the Race to the Clouds, 8th July 2012. Spider Grips/Ducati team owner Paul Livingston’s expertise at Pikes Peak has already captured two Pikes Peak championships in 2008 and 2010, and has another title in his sights with the aid of Akrapovič, leading specialist in exhaust and carbon composite technology and manufacture. Spider Grips/Ducati team riders for 2012 are six times Pikes Peak winner Greg Tracy twice with Spider Grips/Ducati and Carlin Dunne, current Motorcycle Champion and King of the Hill. Both riders know this mountain very well and look forward to the challenge with Spider Grips/Ducati and the specialist involvement of Akrapovič. The Ducati Multistrada project for Akrapovič was unique because the company started with a blank sheet of paper for development. Akrapovič head of Race Development Slavko Trstenjak and R&D manager Gregor Zupan, along with Michael Larkin, Akrapovič Motorcycle Division Manager for the US market, met with the Spider Grips/Ducati race team in early 2012 to discuss details of what was needed to accomplish the up and coming challenge. The Akrapovič team focused on power delivery for the Spider Grips/Ducati team Ducati Multistrada 1200 to combat the unique elevations that this race is known for a tough challenge in anyone’s book but with 21 years of blue chip racing exhaust technology under its belt, Akrapovič has the battle-hardened experience to fulfill the team’s needs. Akrapovič is immersed at the highest levels of racing in every category of motorsport. Its specialist partnerships are far and wide in the two-wheeled arena including MotoGP, World Superbike, Dakar and Supercross and Outdoor Motocross. In the car world, Audi Sport with the FIA World Endurance Championship, which includes the 24 Hour of Le Mans with its class leading LMP-1 car, and in the high profile German DTM race series. With this unrivalled background, Akrapovič knew it could step into another area of racing and bring something great to the table in the shape of a unique exhaust system for the bikes of the Spider Grips/Ducati team. This is the first official Akrapovič representation at Pikes Peak and its staff looks forward to the new experience and venue by inviting you to join them for all the action at this historic race, 8th July 2012.