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/692010
INTERVIEW PIKES PEAK CHAMPION GREG TRACY P86 day. And the race can be run 20-30 degrees hotter than practice. So as long as you're expecting change and are prepared for that, you can do well there." Pikes Peak is unique not just because it is a mo- torsport event run up the side of a mountain whose tallest point is about half the altitude of a cruising airliner. It's unique also due to the fact the practices are run between 5:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., when the major- ity of Colorado Springs is either still sleeping or eating breakfast. "In the middle and top sections at those times, it'll be sub-freezing," Tracy notes. "You won't be able to feel your finger tips or toes in practice, so the track temperature is colder than what most tire companies even have any testing data for. But the race can be 60, 70, 80 degrees and run at anywhere from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. So setting your bike up for a 45-degree day when the race is that much hotter is a challenge in itself." Tires are the most critical factor in any road motor- cycle sport, especially at Pikes Peak. As the bike and I climb up the mountain, the tires will be getting colder, and colder, and colder. "You don't maintain tire temperature," Greg says. "People think you do, and that's when a lot of crashes happen. Once you take the Squadra Alpina The Squadra Alpina is a remarkable posse of Pikes Pros assembled purely in the name of keeping me and 33 other motorcycle racers as safe on the mountain as possible. The brainchild of Ducati North America, the manufacturer that has done so well at Pikes Peak that it's named a version of its all-conquering Multistrada after it, the crew comprising Squadra Alpina is packed with knowledge only race winners can acquire—some of which I'll be using until the end. The squad reads like a who's who of Pikes Peak history: Overall motorcycle lap record holder Carlin Dunne heads the list of mentors. 2011 Rookie of the Year, 2011, 2012 and 2014 King of the Mountain and 2014 Electric Bike winner, Dunne has a perfect record at Pikes Peak—undefeated in every attempt. Micky Dymond needs no introduction. A three-time AMA Champion (twice MX, once Supermoto), he also won the Rookie of the Year at Pikes in 2005 as well as the overall title. Gary Trachy is a 12-time PPIHC competitor who has taken victory eight times on the mountain across multiple classes. Greg Tracy is a seven time Pikes Peak Champion and one of only three riders to break the 10-minute mark alongside Dunne and Jeremy Toye and the only to do it on a bike and in a car. The husband-wife team of Becca and Paul Livingston from Spider Grips will be designing and administering the Race Smart Program. Squadra Alpina from left: Paul Livingston, Greg Tracy, Micky Dymond, Becca Livingston, Carlin Dunne, Gary Trachy.