Tragedy Strikes This Important Event
Carlin Dunne a rider for Ducati at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has died after a crash. Dunne was riding the new Ducati Streetfighter V4 Prototype. According to The Drive, Dunne was nearing the end of the hill climb course when the crash occurred. Dunne was well-known at the event for his previous performances. In 2012, he piloted a Ducati to the first-ever sub-10-minute time at the event, earning him the title of “King of the Mountain.”
Dunne was the last motorcycle to take on the treacherous 12.42-mile route. The motorcycle class starts with the slowest bike and ends with the fastest. Dunne was at the end of the motorcycle class. After his run, the cars would have started. Instead, there was a two-hour wait and a press release from Pikes Peak and Ducati officials announcing the unfortunate news and expressing their condolences for his family and friends. Here’s what the press release said:
The collective hearts of the Colorado Springs community and the Board of Directors of The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, along with Ducati North America, share the grief and pain of Carlin Dunne’s family, friends and fans over his untimely death.
Throughout the 97 years that this unique race has been conducted on America’s Mountain, we have experienced the ultimate joy in victory, the disappointment of failure and now, the unexpected heartbreak of the loss of a competitor, whose love of the race brought him to Pikes Peak. We mourn the tragic death of Carlin and he will remain in our hearts forever as part of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb family. Carlin will be remembered as a warm-hearted mentor with a competitive spirit. He was a gentle and thoughtful man who touched everyone who met him. We will always remember his contagious smile and genuine love for sport.
With our deepest condolences,
The Board of Directors of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
It’s a terribly sad situation. Reports indicate that Dunne hit rough patches of the route near the end of his run which caused him to lose control. The Drive reported that its on-site reporters drove an Acura RDX up the route the day before and found the surface to be “extremely bumpy and even poorly maintained in certain spots.”
Dunne has made his impact on the motorcycling community and will always be remembered for his accomplishments. It’s unclear what kind of impact this unfortunate accident will have on the event in the future. I would expect more attention will be paid to the condition of the route moving forward. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who are grieving at this time.