DUCATI WINS THE PIKES PEAK INTERNATIONAL HILL CLIMB Carlin Dunne sets course record for motorcycles and leads a Ducati class victory in the race to the clouds Pikes Peak, CO Carlin Dunne won the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (Sunday) on the Ducati Multistrada 1200, setting an all time motorcycle record and giving the Italian brand its second consecutive victory in the historic race. Dunne, owner of Ducati Santa Barbara in California, took the checkered flag on his store’s showroom demo bike. After three weeks of frantic preparation, the team set out to Pikes Peak for Dunne’s rookie effort. The 28 year old rider was fast from day one, qualifying on pole for the race and setting a confident pace throughout all three days of practice. In the race Dunne got the holeshot at the start and never looked back. The time across the finish line was 11:11.32; a new course record for motorcycles. “We were definitely anxious to get out and race today; “said Dunne about his race. “When the flag dropped I got the holeshot and went for it. The whole week’s worth of setup work with my technician Sam Swain came together and the Multistrada 1200 worked flawlessly to give us the win. With the help of Spider Grips, Dumontec, BrakeTech and Burley Motorsports we can go home with an all time record!” While Dunne topped the timesheets for Ducati, Pikes Peak regular Alexander Smith rode a spirited race and crossed the finish line with a time of 12:12.92; earning him a much celebrated third place in the 1205cc class. In what was a wild and treacherous race away from Dunne and Smith, the other two Ducati entries fell upon misfortunes. Six-time winner Greg Tracy had an unfortunate fall while charging to post a fast time, and is already looking forward to next year’s race. Second place qualifier Mark Cernicky also suffered from bad luck when his Multistrada’s tire went flat several corners past the starting line. All four riders in the Ducati family enjoyed their Pikes Peak adventures despite mixed results, and were thrilled with the dominating performance of the Multistrada 1200. The Multistrada 1200’s race win comes on the eve of the Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak Special Edition in the US, a striking version of the Multistrada 1200 S painted and accessorized to match the Spider Grips team bikes competing in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Ducati is quite proud of its rider’s successes, and hopes to return to the mountain with the Multistrada 1200 for future title defense. For more information about The Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak Special Edition and Carlin Dunne’s victory in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, please visit www.ducatiusa.com. More, from a press release issued by Peter Haynes, Torque PR Ltd on behalf of Swigz.com Pro Racing: Chip Yates Rides Electric Superbike to 2nd in Class and a New World Record at the 89th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Colorado Springs – American superbike rider and electric vehicle pioneer Chip Yates has delivered another stunning race result with his homebuilt 240 horsepower electric superbike at the 89th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on Sunday, June 26th. Overcoming high winds, red flags, oil on the track, and 2.6 miles of bumpy dirt, Chip achieved two new world records with his surprising run of 12:50.094 while finishing 2nd in the Exhibition Powersport class behind Grand National Champion Joe Kopp. With 240 horsepower and 400 ft/lbs of torque on tap from the UQM Technologies PowerPhase electric motor, the SWIGZ.COM Pro Racing Electric Superbike has become the most powerful motorcycle of any kind to ever finish the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in its 89-year history. More importantly, Chip and his team have claimed a new course world record for electric motorcycles at Pikes Peak, beating the previous time of 16:55.849 set by John Scollon in 2010 on an HM ElectroCat by a convincing 4:05.755 margin. In addition to the impressive results shown by the team this year, the real story to come out of the weekend is the potential the electric superbike showed for a top finish next year when all 12.4 miles of the iconic 156-corner public highway will be paved. This year Chip had to contend with tip-toeing a nearly 600 pound roadracing superbike through 2.6 miles of bumpy dirt road, where he lost significant time (over 1 minute) to the race leaders, highlighted by the split times of the race. In the first section of the course, which is paved asphalt, Chip’s split time was an incredible 9th out of 112 motorcycles as he demonstrated knee-dragging superbike racing techniques to more than 5,000 fans that lined the lower section of the mountain road. However, in the dirt section, Chip predictably suffered badly, and was 97th out of the 112 racers. This huge time disparity hints at the potential for a great 2012 result once the course is completely paved. “These split times show that once again, we have put the gas-powered bikes on notice that we can be a serious threat to the results of a premier race event,” said Yates. “Next year with the pavement on my side, I’ll be looking for a top 10 or better result in the overall standings.” In this first paved section of the hill climb, Chip’s electric superbike was only beaten by eight top riders: Carlin Dunne (race winner), Greg Tracy, Gary Trachy, Mark Cernicky, Stuart Sinclair, Joe Kopp, Mike Ell, and Davey Durelle. “I want to thank our new sponsor Eidos LLC and my incredible team, and none more than my key Race Engineer Robert Ussery, who is responsible for a massive amount of work and personal sacrifice to prepare our electric superbike for this epic adventure,” said Yates. “We are a team of 3 volunteer engineers with support from our wonderful sponsors but with no outside funding and yet we are taking on the established motorcycle manufacturers by pure determination, ingenuity, and the ability to accept personal hardship and extremely long hours as part of our normal course of business.”