Colorado Springs, March 30-----The 89th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will include the most powerful motorcycle to enter the historic event in history when it roars away on June 26.
Famed racer Chip Yates (Aliso Viejo, CA) will be racing his 240bhp, 365lb/ft electric superbike at Pikes Peak this summer in an Exhibition Po werSport Division showing when America's second-oldest motor sport event gets underway in Colorado Springs.
Yates' bike is currently set up for conventional tracks, where he made history by placing second in a race against gasoline superbikes earlier this year. His entry on Pikes Peak this summer heralds a completely new challenge for Yates and his unbelievable motorcycle. More information on Chip and the bike can be found at: www.chipyates.com
"We're ecstatic to have been invited by Pikes Peak International Hill Climb officials to compete in this epic event," says 39-year-old Yates "The course is almost completely paved, but I will be challenged by several miles of dirt in the middle of the climb and I'll be calling on my previous SCCA Pro Rally driving experience to get safely through the lower grip sections. Our engineers are busy developing new traction control software and mapping that will automatically adapt based on my position on the mountain."
Yates and his SWIGZ Racing team achieved the seemingly impossible in January at the Auto Club Speedway in California, with two podium finishes for their electric superbike during its global racing debut, competing against a competitive field of highly-developed gasoline-powered race machines, including Ducati 848s, NCR-Ducatis, Honda RC51s, and Suzuki SV650s.
Despite only six laps of pre-race testing, the privately owned and developed machine exceeded all expectations in its two race outings. Yates achieved an astonishing third place in the premier WERA Heavyweight Twins Superbike race, starting on the third row of the grid, and going one better in the WERA Heavyweight Twins Superstock race to finish second and post the fastest lap of the race at a 1:39.792. The all-electric machine was recorded at 158 mph on the straight and appeared visibly quicker to spectators, compared to even the 1,000cc Japanese superbikes from the other top WERA superbike classes.
"We are thrilled to have Chip on the Hill this year with his amazing bike," said Hill Climb motorcycle referee Sonny Anderson. "Our Exhibition PowerSport Division is designed for new technology, and what he brings is exactly that. Our fans are in for something special."
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb includes powerful cars, trucks and motorcycles racing up a 12.42-mile, 156-turn course. Traditionally, supermotos or other dirt-capable motorcycles enter the race, with Ducati MultiStradas piloted by Greg Tracy and Gary Trachy winning titles last summer.
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the second oldest motorsports race in America behind the Indianapolis 500 and a long-standing tradition in Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Region. It began in 1916, and this year marks the 89th running of the "Race to the Clouds."
The race is run on a 12.42 mile course with 156 turns that begins at 9,390 feet and finishes at the 14,110 foot summit of America's Mountain. As the drivers climb toward the summit, the thin air slows reflexes and saps muscle strength. The thin air also robs engines of 30% of their power at the summit. Competitors, vehicles and motorcycles must be in top shape simply to finish, let alone win!
The popular Fan Fest is scheduled for Friday evening, June 24 in downtown Colorado Springs, with a crowd of over 30,000 again anticipated.
Tickets, camping permits and all other information is available at the PPIHC website, www.ppihc.com
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