Carlin Dunne grew up above his family’s motorcycle repair shop. His father was a South African road racer with Isle of Man experience, but did not insist that his son follow the same career. Exploring different disciplines in his youth helped shape a versatile rider later closely associated with Pikes Peak.
In 2012, Dunne became the first motorcyclist to break ten minutes at Pikes Peak, recording 9 minutes 52.819 seconds on a Ducati Multistrada. The following year, he beat every motorcycle on electric machinery. He collected four titles on the mountain, succeeding with different motorcycles on the same demanding course.
His work on the mountain extended beyond chasing times. In 2017, Dunne led Ducati’s Pikes Peak Squadra Alpina safety team within the Race Smart programme, helping riders prepare for the Colorado event’s challenges. In 2018, he returned to victory aboard a Multistrada 1260 Pikes Peak in the Heavyweight Division.
Dunne died while racing at Pikes Peak on 30 June 2019. The foundation bearing his name combines goals of mentoring emerging riders and raising awareness of brain injuries in sport. That adds another dimension to his story: sharing experience, developing skills and caring for other riders alongside the records.