No Motorcycle Racing For The 2020 Pikes Peak Hill Climb

The board of directors of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb announced in a press release last week that motorcycle racing will not return next year.

“Motorcycles have been a part of the PPIHC for the past 29 years, and their history on America’s Mountain dates back to the inaugural running in 1916,” says Tom Osborne, chairman of the hill climb organization.

“That said, the motorcycle program hasn’t been an annual event,” he adds. “They have run 41 of the 97 years we’ve been racing on Pikes Peak. It’s just time to take a hard look at every aspect of the race, including the motorcycle program, and determine whether or not the event may change.”

Related: Onboard Video Of Pikes Peak-Winning Run

Last month's race was marred in tragedy when five-time PPIHC champion Carlin Dunne lost his life during a tragic accident, just a few hundred feet from the finish line. Dunne was competing on a prototype version of Ducati's Streetfighter V4. Dunne's death was the fourth motorcycle casualty (and seventh in total) in the 97-year history of the "Race to the Clouds."

A few weeks ago, PPIHC sent separate surveys, with a specific set of questions tailored to previous motorcycle and car racing competitors/teams. It’s no secret that some of the car racing teams consider the motorcycle racers as a nuisance, as they use the critical first couple hours of daylight to conduct their race runs on Sunday. Weather is always an important factor on the mountain, and conditions are typically more favorable during the morning hours.

The PPIHC board says it will make a final determination in regard to the future of motorcycle racing at the event late next year.

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