Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1146955
THE RACE TO THE CLOUDS P96 Feature by the team, and I topped the class on the final day of practice on Friday, once again held in The W's. I'm only about 0.7-seconds up on Vahsholtz, but I'll take it after being nearly two seconds down on Wednesday. Game On All this leads to a great feeling on race morning, Sunday, June 30. Having chosen to go for the Pirelli Diablo Superbike SC0 (super soft) tires front and rear, and with all eyes on Carlin and not me, the team and I are in a great place. The bike is perfect. The chassis is dialed, the ECU's engine braking and throttle strategies are sorted—it's game on. After Carlin wishes me good luck, Jeremy looks me in the eye and says, "Remember: straight-line braking; maintenance throttle; stand the bike up early. Ride like you know how to ride." Revs up, flag man Frank waves me off, and I carefully release the clutch. The next 9 minutes and 44.963 seconds are the best I've ever ridden a motorcycle in my life. Being cognizant of Jeremy's riding advice I've soaked up over the week, I talk myself through the run, and by the time I reach the Bottomless Pit turn just after Devil's Play- ground, I'm hitting the limiter in sixth gear whereas in practice I was barely doing that in fifth. That's when it hits me: as long as I hold it together, this run will be a good one. Out of the seat through Boulder Park and riding the Aprilia like an enduro bike, I remind myself to keep my shit together. I purposely keep it tight through the final two corners to give myself plenty of wiggle room, and ride over the line. About 10 seconds later, I see Chris Fillmore run- ning up to me, his arms raised triumphantly with an enormous smile across his face. Then it hits me: I've just won the Heavyweight Class. But, it gets better. Chris then tells me I smashed his lap record by 4.662 seconds. It's the best feeling of my life aside from my wedding day and when my son was born. A television crew rushes up to me and puts a mi- crophone under my nose. But after five minutes of chatting to them, I ask, "hang on, I've been talking to you for ages, where's Carlin? He should be here." Convincing myself he's probably okay, I keep chatting. Little do I know, he's about 40 meters away on the other side of the carpark embankment, taking his final breath. Carlin Dunne was set to annihilate my time on the Ducati Streetfighter V4 Protoytpe. He was 1.323 seconds up in the first split, 2.528 up in the sec- ond, 3.953 seconds up in the third, until he high- sided the machine barely 50 feet from the finish line. Dunne, a man with four previous race wins at America's Mountain, fell from the Ducati and down the boulder-strewn embankment to his final resting place. Carlin's death cast an enormous shadow over what was an incredible event. The fastest race in history, I am now the Pikes Peak record holder and overall champion, but I know the real winner is Carlin Dunne. He was the fastest rider this year—of that, there is no doubt. Carlin Dunne is the true King of The Mountain. *If you would like to see all the videos we have created on the 2019 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, including the build, testing, race week vlogs, the full run and documentary, head to www. youtube.com/cyclenews and go to the 2019 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb playlist. CN That's four years of work realized with Australia's first Pikes Peak Heavyweight category win.