In a tragic turn of events, professional motorcycle racer Carlin Dunne lost his life at the 97th edition of the Broadmoor Pikes Peak Hill Climb. The rider was astride the brand new Ducati Streetfighter V4 prototype, on his way to set a new record at the hill climb event. The rider crashed less than a quarter mile away from the finish line, which, according to various reports on the internet, had a bump which the rider allegedly took on at high speed, initiating the crash. It was for the fifth time that 36-year-old Dunne was on his way to attack this race, defending the title he had won at the same spot last year.
For those of you who do not know about the Pikes Peak Hill Climb event, allow us to give you a brief introduction. This race has been one of the oldest motorsport race, coming second only to the Indy500. Held in the state of Colorado, the track measures 19.99 km. The racers have to negotiate as many as 156 turns while climbing 4,720 feet up to the finish. It generally takes less than 10 minutes to navigate through this track, and apart from bikes of various types and categories, cars too, participate in this annual event. In recent years, electric vehicles too have been popular at this race.
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“There are no words to describe our shock and sadness,” Jason Chinnock, CEO of Ducati North America said. “Carlin was part of our family and one of the most genuine and kind men we have ever known. His spirit for this event and love of motorcycling will be remembered forever as his passing leaves a hole in our hearts.” The exact cause of Dunne’s death is still not known. The rider could have passed away after falling off the mountain or succumbed to injuries at a local hospital. In this unfortunate tail of events, Dunne becomes the seventh life this track has claimed. We at Motoroids send out prayers to the friends and family of Carlin Dunne.