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Ducati Multistrada Sets Pikes Peak Record

Mon, 27 Jun 2011

Carlin Dunne set a new course record for motorcycles in Ducati’s second consecutive Pikes Peak International Hill Climb victory.

Riding the Ducati Multistrada 1200, Dunne completed the 12.42 mile course in 11:11.32 for the win in the 1205 class for 900cc and larger Twin cylinder machines. Dunne’s time was also 34 seconds faster than the winning time set by Greg Tracy on the Ducati Multistrada in the 2010 race.

Dunne, the owner of Ducati Santa Barbara, won in just his first time in the event, and perhaps more impressively, did it on his showroom’s demo bike.

“We were definitely anxious to get out and race today,” says Dunne, pictured below. “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!”

Alexander Smith, a regular Pikes Peak competitor and son of Motorcycle Hall of Famer Malcolm Smith, finished third in the 1205 class on the Multistrada. Two other Multistrada riders were less fortunate. Tracy, a six-time winner had a crash while Mark Cernicky, associate editor of Cycle World, had a flat tire just a few corners into the race.

Dunne’s victory comes as Ducati launches the Pikes Peak Edition Multistrada 1200S, a special edition model equipped to match Tracy’s 2010 winning machine.

Check back for more results in the other classes as they are released.

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 (26 June 2011) – Carlin Dunne won the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb today 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.


By Dennis Chung


See also: Played: SBK 2011, Rossi to Race on Updated Ducati Desmosedici GP11.1, 40-Day Motorcycle Ride for Breast Cancer Groups.