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The Official End of Racing to the Clouds for Motorcycles at Pikes Peak in 2021

It took them two years of deliberation, but following the ban on bikes in 2020 and a load of “research, deliberation, thoughtful consideration and advice from colleagues,” the Board of the Directors of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has called an end to motorcycle competition during the annual Race to the Clouds in 2021.
Carlin Dunne 8 photos
Photo: PPIHC Facebook
Carlin DunneCarlin DunneCarlin Dunne BonnevilleCarlin Dunne on Pikes PeakPikes Peak Carlin DunneCarlin DunneCarlin Dunne
“Motorcycle competition has been part of the history of the race off-and-on since 1916, and has been both thrilling and tragic for competitors and fans alike,” said Fred Veitch, Interim Chairman of the Board. “This has been a long process and a difficult decision, but we believe it is the right decision and one that is in the best interest of the organization at this time.”

In 1916 - the first year of the Pikes Peak race - Floyd Clymer made it up first even as the road was still under construction. That year, Clymer took two of the four motorcycle events and even finished second to “Doc” Vanderhoof in the sidecar class.

As the years went on home-built Excelsiors, Harley-Davidsons and Thors raced up to the top of the peak testing their enormous twin-cylinder, four-stroke motors and rigid frames. It’s hard to imagine taking on that challenge with a three-speed, hand-controlled gear, but that’s exactly what those intrepid souls took on.

Since that first race, there have been some notable gaps in motorcycle competition up the peak with the onset of WWI in 1920 as the first. Motorcycle racing was discontinued in the twenties and all the way through 1954 when the AMA (American Motorcycle Association) began sanctioning a fresh round of Pikes Peak motorcycle events.

Motorcycle racing was again left out of the program until 1980 when it was reinstated for three years, but another accident occurred in the thick dust when rider Bill Gross was fatally struck by another rider just past the start line.

Bikes were again shut out of the Peak race from 1983 – 1990. Racing on Pikes Peak began again in 1991. Of the 97 editions of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, just 41 of those races have included motorcycles during the “Race to the Clouds”

This latest ban comes on the heels of the tragic death of Pikes Peak superstar Carlin Dunne who lost his life in the 97th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race in 2019.

If you’d like to donate to the foundation set up in Dunne’s honor, you can do that here: The Carlin Dunne Foundation.

Carlin was on his way to a record-setting lap with his Ducati Streetfighter V4 prototype, and according to eyewitnesses (which we should preface have been very unreliable throughout the day), he had just passed the final turn on the course a small distance from the finish line when his bike encountered a bump, crashed, and went off course.



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