For the third year in a row, a Ducati Multistrada has won the motorcycle division of the unique Pikes Peak hillclimb, with Carlin Dunne doubling up on his 2011 victory and his Spider Grips team-mate Greg Tracy making it a 1-2.
For only the third time in its 90-year history, the event had to be shortened for many of the competitors as snow, rain and near-freezing temperatures struck the finish line on the summit. Still, many of the fast teams made the full run, and both bikes and cars made it under the 10-minute mark on the 12.42-mile, 156-turn course, fully paved for the first time. It’s the first time any bikes have gotten under the 10-minute mark.
Dunne’s winning time of 9:52.819 compares very favourably to the winning car, a 700 bhp, turbocharged Hyundai Genesis, running on slicks and with enormous amounts of downforce. Driver Rhys Millen completed the run in 9:46.164, a mere six seconds faster than Dunne on his lightly-modified Multistrada S. Tracy was only another six seconds behind, putting them third and fourth overall as well as tops in the bike division.
“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 … When we were alerted that the entire course would be paved in 2012, [we believed] that the Multistrada 1200 S was still the right choice and breaking the record today proves this.”
