Motorcycle racer Carlin Dunne was killed after crashing near the finish line of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on a Ducati prototype.
The riding ace had won his class at Pikes Peak on four separate occasions and looked set to repeat that feat at this year’s iteration of the race. He qualified on pole position and was the final person on two wheels to race up the mountain on Sunday morning before the car classes kicked off.
Dunne had been dominant across the weekend and was riding the Ducati Streetfighter V4 in a move to help promote the new bike and continue its development.
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Jalopnik reports that, on Dunne’s final run, he raced through the first, second, and third sectors faster than ever before. However, less than a quarter mile from the finish line, he crashed.
The Denver Post says that one reporter saw bike shrapnel going over the edge of the road just 20 yards from the finish line and says that riders had been experiencing difficulty with a small bump in the road towards the summit. Witnesses claim Dunne hit this bump at high speed and that lost control of his bike.
Both an ambulance and helicopter were dispatched to the scene of the crash. Race officials confirmed his death in a news release.
Seven people have been killed throughout the history of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, which has taken placed since 1916. Our thoughts go out to his family, loved ones and friends.