In an attempt to secure his fifth King Of The Mountain title, Carlin Dunne of the Spider Grips Ducati race team fell yesterday a quarter mile from the finish line and succumbed to his injuries. Dunne was setting records on the Prototype Ducati Streetfighter V4 at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb when he died at age 36.

Dunne was on track to set another record and secure his next King of the Mountain title.

This was supposed to be an article about the marvelous display of talent by Ducati racer Carlin Dunne and the engineering brilliance of the Ducati team as a whole. It should have been about how Mr. Dunne dominated the qualifying session at Pikes Peak to secure the Pole Position, and how the Ducati Streetfighter V4 prototype outperformed the competition in this, the 97th annual “Race To The Clouds” that so often serves as a proving ground for would-be street racers and hill climbers. All things being equal, it should have been a repeat of Ducati's victory last year to add to the laurels earned in seven consecutive years from '08 through '14. “Should” being the operative term.

Instead, we mourn the loss of 36-year-old Carlin Dunne who died in a fall just meters from the finish line. He was on track to set another record for the factory whilst garnering his fifth King of the Mountain title, but instead, he ended up as the seventh competitor to die during the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

"Throughout the 97 years that this unique race has been conducted on America's Mountain, we have experienced the ultimate joy in victory, the disappointment of failure and now, the unexpected heartbreak of the loss of a competitor, whose love of the race brought him to Pikes Peak,” in a statement from the Pike's Peak Board of Directors. “We mourn the tragic death of Carlin and he will remain in our hearts forever as part of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb family. Carlin will be remembered as a warm-hearted mentor with a competitive spirit."

“There are no words to describe our shock and sadness,” added Ducati North America CEO, Jason Chinnock. “Carlin was part of our family and one of the most genuine and kind men we have ever known. His spirit from this event and love of motorcycling will be remembered forever as his passing leaves a hole in our hearts.”

The TopSpeed family sends our deepest condolences and sympathies to the family and friends of the late Carlin Dunne.

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