King of the Hill: Carlin Dunne

Three world records, four Pikes Peak wins and two Baja titles – it was obvious that Carlin Dunne took up every challenge in life. He’d already set four records at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, one of which stood unbeaten for five whole years, but here he was, yet again, on another massive adventure in Colorado.

On a chilly Sunday morning at Pikes Peak, Carlin was on a blisteringly quick sprint up, aiming to break the record for bikes which currently stands at 9:44 minutes (set this year by Rennie Scaysbrook). And after three days of practice and numerous tweaks, the 36-year-old champion could very well have finished under 9:35 minutes, say race officials judging by his sector times, which would have been a great accomplishment for Ducati V4 Streetfighter.

He was able to qualify with the fastest sprint time astride the V4 Streetfighter prototype, more than five seconds ahead of the competition. On June 30, 2019, only metres away from his estimated 9:32 finish, he lost control allegedly after hitting a bump. The possible high-side threw him off the bike and almost 20 metres down an embankment. He was airlifted to the nearest medical centre, but was pronounced dead by noon. Had it not been for the mishap, he would have set the fastest ever time for motorcycles at the Hill Climb.

Along with racing, Dunne had developed a very distinctive skill set thanks his years of trials, mountain biking, driving and karting which he put to use as a stuntman, fuelling his love for films. The Colorado hill climb, though, was his ultimate muse. Not for the record or the recognition, but those 10 minutes that disconnected him from life’s rigours.

It’s a heart-breaking loss not only for Dunne’s family, peers and Ducati but also for the motorcycling community around the globe. This is the seventh death associated with the hill climb and we hope it brings out measures to make the climb safer for riders and drivers in equal measure.