Race Week Begins!

After a beautiful drive over Independence Pass, the team arrived at our home away from home – the Mecca Motel – on Sunday. Although a great deal of the prep work for the race bikes was done prior to our departure, there always are a few more things that need to be done before tech…

Pikes Peak or Bust!

Pikes Peak or Bust! That’s what the pioneers said as they headed west to the Rocky Mountains. The Falkner/Livingston Akrapovic team is in California though, so we’re actually heading east towards Pikes Peak, but still it’s a great motto for the team as we pack up and head out for the Pikes Peak International Hill…

It’s a Team Thing – The View From the Summit 2012

Hard to believe it’s already been over a month since race day at Pikes Peak 2012. Time has been flying since then. The team has gone back to the things we do when we’re not at Pikes Peak, but I think I can speak for us all in saying that we miss the mountain! Carlin…

The Day After Tomorrow

Sorry for being delinquent in posting this. Race Day was an amazing, breathtaking, awe inspiring event. I really wish that you all could have been there. But it was long, long, long. We staged the race bikes in our pits on Saturday. On Sunday the teams were scheduled to pass thru the entrance gate between…

Qualifying! Day 4 – Pikes Peak

Today we ran at the starting line – going up to just below Glen Cove. The race organization is working with a different timing system this year and from this location we got to experience the very best part of it – Instant results! With a strong Wifi signal right in the pits we were…

Up before the Dawn – Day 2 of Pikes Peak Race Week

We were up well before the dawn this morning – 2:45am actually. It sounds worse than it is – the entire team was full of energy and enthusiasm this morning as we rolled out of the parking lot at 3:10. First stop – the Seven Eleven for those who need coffee to keep the energy…

Tech Inspection – Race Week Day 1

Today was the first official day of Pikes Peak International Hill Climb’s Race Week. Tech Inspection opened at 8:00am. By 9:00 we were there with the team and had the bikes unloaded. The first step is for the riders to complete registration. The PPIHC is an invitation only event, so by its very nature some…

All Roads Lead to Pikes Peak! Interstates 15 and 70

The Team is on the way to Colorado for Race Week! The first road we took was the I 15 from Southern California to Nevada. In Las Vegas we made our usual stop at Dynojet. As always, we got a warm welcome there from Dusty, Chris and Chuck. While we were there we made some…

Pikes Peak 2012: Postponed

As the Spider Grips/Ducati team has been preparing for the 90th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb we have had our eye on the daily news updates coming from Colorado. Today we have learned that the race has been postponed due to the savage wildfires in the area. When the race is rescheduled,…

Spider Grips/Ducati Team – Second Tire Test – Day 2

Today was our last test day on the mountain until Race Week – July 4th thru 8th. So it was with a little twinge of mixed feelings this morning as we got up at 3:00am and headed up to the start line area. It sure will be nice to get a full night’s rest tomorrow,…

Spider Grips/Ducati Team – Second Tire Test – Day 1

Glen Cove – 4:00am June 9th 2012. It’s 40 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind is blowing. Some gusts feel like they might push the van to the edge of the mountain. It’s not very scientific, but I think it’s a safe guess that some of the gusts are over 50mph in this rather protected location.…

Spider Grips/Ducati Team – Super Double Secret Practice

Psst! Wanna hear a secret? We had a special test day on the mountain today! It was a private event. We were invited to join in on this test day by 4 car teams. They were generous enough to offer to share their private time with us and we jumped at the chance. We have…

Spider Grips/Ducati Team – Start Line Practice – Day 2

Somehow, oddly, the second day of getting up at 3:00 is even easier than the first. Today the moon was full and just about to set behind the mountain when we headed thru the gate. It was gone by the time we reached our pit area, making it very dark out as we unloaded and…

Alexander Smith and Pikes Peak Multi #55 on the cover of Friction Zone Magazine

Alexander Smith and Pikes Peak MTS-1200 #55 on the cover of April 2012 Friction Zone Magazine! Check out the newest issue of Friction Zone (western edition). There is also a great article about motorcycle events you should consider attending this year – starting with the Pike Peak International Hill Climb. In case you missed the…

Greg Tracy in New Zealand for the Leadfoot Festival!

GT checks in after a fun filled weekend in New Zealand. He traveled there to particiapte in the Leadfoot Festival, hosted by Rod Millen. The bike he rode was not 555 from the Pikes Peak team, but a proud and fast white Multi provided by Haldane’s Ducati. Outfitted with the lucky triple nickle numbers, it…

Ducati returns to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb In 2012

Ducati announces today its return to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb for the 90th edition of “The Race to the Clouds”. Following two consecutive championship years, Ducati will again partner with the Spider Grips team to conquer the mountain on the Multistrada 1200 on July 8, 2012. The 2012 team will see the return…

Spider Grips/Ducati Team Update

Today we were back on the mountain, positioned at an area called “Cove Creek”. It is a beautiful bowl just above 10,000ft altitude on the famous Pikes Peak International Hill Climb track. We parked the Sprinter vans on a pretty steep angle along the side of the road, and unload the bikes in the dark.…

Ducati unveils the Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak Special Edition

  Tuesday, 08 March 2011 Ducati unveils the Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak Special Edition in celebration of Greg Tracy’s famous victory in the 2010 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race in Colorado. The Pikes Peak Special Edition is specially dressed in stunning replica Ducati Corse-style paint scheme with passenger foot-peg hangers and engine guard…

Announcing 2011 Spider Grips Ducati Team

On June 26th, 2011 Spider Grips will be returning to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with team riders Greg Tracy and Alexander Smith riding Ducati Multistrada 1200S motorcycles. The Pikes Peak race course begins at above 9,300 ft. altitude and twists through more than 156 turns winding uphill over 12 miles to finish at the…