There’s a major change coming to the oldest motorcycle race in the U.S.
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, one of motorcycling’s classic showdowns, will run for the 90th time next summer, but this time the track will be fully paved.
Since it first ran in 1916, one of the race’s trademarks has been its dirt sections.
Competitors on full-blown sportbikes must slow down in the gravel, or their slicks could send them into the ditch. The winner is not simply the guy on the fastest bike – it’s the guy who knows how to get that fast bike through the tricky parts. That’s why bikes like Ducati’s Multistrada do well at the race – they’re designed to handle the varied terrain.
But everything will be different now that the course is entirely paved – a project that was started way back in the 1950s. While racers will still have extreme elevation changes and the challenging course itself to contend with, at least they won’t have the same traction concerns of the past.
Interested in racing Pikes Peak? Only the first 100 bikes and 50 cars (yes, cages race this course too) are guaranteed entry. Registration opens up November 1 at ppihc.com.
