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87th Annual PPIHC
Pike's Peak International Hill Climb
Colorado Springs, CO
July 19, 2009

Michael Coburn Wins Pike's Peak Hill Climb & Breaks Quad 450 Record


Colorado Springs, CO - The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is one of the oldest motorsports racing events in the United States and is a test of endurance of both man and machine. As the elevation increases, riders reflexes begin to slow and muscles become fatigued, while engines begin to lose power in the thin air, but Pikes Peak newcomer Michael Coburn was able to overcome those challenges and not only take the 450 Quad win, but set a new division record.

“I wasn’t really sure what to expect since it was my first time there,” said the National Pro Extreme DirtTrack racer. “I just went out there and tried to do my best and when it was over, I didn’t even think that I had won, let alone break a record,” Coburn explained.

Michael Coburn
Michael Coburn racing his way to the top of Pikes Peak Mountain (Photo by Jay Bonvouloir)
Events and time qualifiers at Pikes Peak began on Tuesday July 14th, bright and early at 4am and went for three days with the celebratory “Fan Fest” on Friday evening where all of the fastest qualifiers get to display their rides. “There was about 30,000 people at Fan Fest. It was pretty amazing to see that many people there,” said Coburn, who, over the course of the three day practice and time qualifiers, was on top of his game and even set two qualifier records on the first day. Racers are then given Saturday off to work on their machines if needed and get ready for Sunday’s main events.

For the Quad main events, racers leave the starting line three at a time with the top qualifiers going first. They are then timed as they wind their way up the mountainside.

PPIHC Race Quick Facts
Race Length: 12.42 Miles
Track Width: 20 - 50 Feet
Surface: Gravel/Asphalt
Start Elevation: 9,390 Feet
Finish Elevation: 14,110 Feet
Elevation Gain: 4,708 Feet
Average Grade: 7%
Turns: 156
According to the Pikes Peak website, the 12.42 mile course boasts 156 turns, some of which are accompanied by sheer drop offs hundreds of feet down. The course goes from a starting point elevation of 9,390 feet all the way up to 14,110 feet. “It was pretty intense in some places. In the part that they referred to as the “W” section, (between the 1st and 4th leg of the climb) you look over to the left and all you see is sky. It was a little unnerving so I just tried to stay focused on the course,” said Coburn.

Michael Coburn
Michael Coburn racing his way to the top of Pikes Peak Mountain
Coburn attributes part of his success in the “Race to the Clouds” to his experience as a TT racer in the Extreme DirtTrack Series. “The course was like one big TT track, so it was something that I’m really used to and I think that helped a lot, because I felt pretty comfortable out there,” said Coburn who finished with a records breaking time of 12:18 in the Quad 450 class.

Coburn was very impressed with his experience at Pikes Peak and is making plans to return next year. “It was a really great experience for me. The scenery was fantastic, the racing was fun and the fans and spectators were awesome, so I really want to come back next year, but I want to build a bike and run in the 500 class and try for that record as well,” he said determinedly.


www.ppihc.com
1631 Mesa Avenues Suite B-1
Colorado Springs, CO 80906

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