Racer Carlin Dunne Sets All-Time Pikes Peak Motorcycle Record In Rookie Appearance

Team Ducati Wins Again At Pikes Peak!

Racer Carlin Dunne Sets All-Time Pikes Peak Motorcycle Record In Rookie Appearance

Colorado Springs (June 27)-------------Carlin Dunne won the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Sunday on the Ducati Multistrada 1200, setting an all time event motorcycle record with a clocking of 11:11.32 in winning the touch 1205 CC division, giving the Italian brand its second consecutive victory in the historic race and earning Dunne the title of Motorcycle King of the Mountain.

His effort broke the old motorcycle mark of 11:33.70 set in 2010 by Gary Trachy in winning the 750 class.

Dunne reaped an additional honor for his performance, winning Rookie of the Year honors in the motorcycle division.

It was another shining moment in a day filled with epic moments, including the fall of the elusive ten-minute mark when Japan’s Nobuhiro Tajima roared to a record 9:51.278 in winning his sixth straight Unlimited auto championship.

Dunne, owner of Ducati Santa Barbara, competed and triumphed on his store's showroom demo bike, adding more luster to the impressive debut. The 28-year-old Ducati rider was on target from the day he arrived in Colorado Springs, qualifying on pole for the race and setting a blistering pace over three days of testing on America’s Mountain.

"We were definitely anxious to get out and race,” said Dunne. “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, Dumonde Tech, BrakeTech and Burley Motorsports we went home with an all time record!"

While Dunne grabbed the top for Team Ducati, Pikes Peak veteran Alexander Smith roared up the mountain course and crossed the finish line at the summit with a time of 12:12.92, grabbing third place behind Dunne’s historic showing.

In what was a wild and treacherous race on a hot, windy, the other two Ducati entries had some tough luck. Six-time winner Greg Tracy had an unfortunate fall while charging to post a fast time, and lost his chance to defend his 2010 title on the Peak.

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 came on the eve of the unveiling of the Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak Special Edition in the United States, 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 thrilled with the efforts of its riders, and hopes to return to the mountain with the Multistrada 1200 for a future title defense.