Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

rally racing), so the field was oP€n. lt wasn't long before another young gun took over the mantle, as l8-year-old Jeff Steinberger snatched the pole with a time of 5:34.8 on Friday, ridinS a Kawasaki KX250. Steinberger banled Yamaha YZ-mounted Mark Hiller and veteran Chuck Lee, on a Honda CR250& allthe way to the toP, Lee tried a late-braking pass at 16 miles, but Steinberger held him off, while lYiller tried to take both qf them. Miller eventually got round Lee but couldn't catch Steinberger, who ended up winning in a record time of time of I 2:43.963- That was nine se€onds faster then Don Bruner's old record. "l iust told myself, 'Don't overblow any corners,"' said Steinberger, who mounted a small video qunera on his helmet; when he reached the top, he watched the footage on a small mon- itor with second-place linisher Miller. "lt felt realgood," he added' "lt was fun. " The 450cc class is a new one for 2006, but there were some familiar old names at the top ofthe ladder For the loth time, Davey Durelle stood on the top sPot of the podium. Riding a borrowed Honda 450 emblazoned with his familiar number 59, Durelle estab- lished the class record with a time of I 2:10.477, which was 12 sec- onds faster than the old 500cc record. He set that record despite a wicked bucking-bronco moment at Devil's Play8round, where the bike wanted to go in a different direction than the rider. Greg Chicoine, another hillclimb veteran, finished 30 seconds back in second place, but it could have been first if he hadn't been so nice. Durelle's bike dropped a valve on Friday, and Chicoine offered him his spare bike. "The bike was running great and lust broke"' Durelle said. "My competitor Greg Chicoine loaned this one to me. He's been such a great friend. He iust loaded this bike out of his truck and said, 'Here you go. Let's go race,"' Durelle was full of emotion as he hugged his friend on the win- ners'podium. Greg Tracy ran a lonely Iace to the toP on his SuPermoto Honda CRF450. Tracy readiusted his ietting just before the start because he expected cooler racing conditions on top, but it seemed to caused him to lose some power instead "l think I went the wrong way," said Tracy. But it didn't seem to mafter to anyone except Tracy, as he set a new record anyway. However, Tracy wanted to not only break the record, he wanted to drop under the l2-minute mark. He fell -007 of a second short. "Son of a gun, that kills me," Tracy ioked. "How could you be unhappy with a new record? But the .007 off of the I 2-minute mark is kind of hurting. lt was a real solid run The course conditions were a big part of it." This was Tracy's third Pikes Peak win. Greg's brother Gary Trachy destroyed the overall record, taking the 75occ victory with a stunning time of I l:46.841 - 26 seconds under Micky Dymond's 2005 record Gary rode a Husqvarna 660 SMR. Dymond didn't Sive up without a fi8ht, but he lost the baftle by iust over one second when the riders crossed over the finish line at the 14,l lo-foot summit of Pikes Peak. Both riders were the first ever to break the l2-minute barrier. When comParing Yictories with his brother, Gary pointed out that he had broken his class record by a larger margin than Greg had DesPite the needlinS, Greg was happy for his brother's oYerall win and hoPed his success would help gain some factory backing in the near future Eddie Mulder returned for the first time in nine years to break the VintaSe record with a time of 13.32 on a Triumph Bonneville. A pair of BMW l2oocc HP2s ran in the Exhibition class, with BMW officials on hand to observe. Rumors were running that BMW might sponsor the race next year or at least have a serious factor/ effort in 2007. Either way, the motorcycle Portion ofthe Pikes Peak Hillclimb is now on Par with the car racers' Portion' and it looks likely to grow stronger with evetT race. Cll Prrcs PtaK Coro*aDo sPR|NGs, CO Rrsurls: JutY I 2006 Gory'r brother Greg lracy rooli his rhird Piker Peqk win in the Supermoto

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