2017 Pikes Peak Hill Climb: KTM’s Fillmore Claims Outright Lap Record (Video)

2017 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Results, Motorcycle

The 95th running of The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb wrapped up Sunday in record-breaking style for Chris Fillmore.

The former AMA Pro SuperBike racer piloted a KTM 1290 Super Duke R to first place in the Heavyweight motorcycle class, claiming a new outright lap record on the 12.42-mile course during his rookie year.

Fillmore posted a best time of 9:49.265 during the “Race to the Clouds” in Colorado Springs. This beat the previous outright record by 3.554 seconds.

The previous record was set in 2012, the first year of full pavement for the 156-corner PPIHC that takes riders from 9,390 feet above sea level to 14,200 at the finish. The rider was Carlin Dunne on a Ducati Multistrada 1200 S (former 1205 Division). The previous record for the Heavyweight class was a 9:58.697 set by Jeremy Toye in 2014 (Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja).

“I set out with the goal of trying to break the record this year and I wanted to do it as a rookie, so to achieve this is something really special,” Fillmore says.  “The KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R ran perfectly but I did have a scary moment coming into the 19-mile corner when the bike went sideways at 120 mph near the side of the cliff. Luckily I was able to keep it under control but it was definitely a nerve-racking moment and I’m happy to have finished safely and with the win!”

Claiming second in the Heavyweight Motorcycle class was Cycle News’ Road Test Editor Rennie Scaysbrook, the Aussie posting a 9:57.712 aboard a KTM 1290 Super Duke R during his sophomore year of racing the infamous PPIHC, the world’s second-oldest race behind the Indianapolis 500.

“This year I just wanted to have a clean run and get the finish, whatever happened after that wasn’t really up to me,” Scaysbrook says. “I knew Chris would be extremely fast and I threw down as hard as I could when the time came, but it wasn’t enough and I’m very pleased to see Chris take the victory for KTM. I wanted to break the nine-minute barrier and to get the third fastest motorcycle time ever up the mountain in something to be happy about.”

The two KTM riders were the only competitors to post under the 10-minute mark.

Taking the final podium position in the Heavyweight Motorcycle class was 2016 Champion Bruno Langlois. The Frenchman posted a lap of 10:12.317 aboard a Kawasaki Z900.

2017 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Top-5 Overall Motorcycle Results:

1. Chris Fillmore, KTM, 9.49.265, Heavyweight Motorcycle
2. Rennie Scaysbrook, KTM, 9:57.712, Heavyweight Motorcycle
3. Bruno Langlois, KAW, 10:12.317, Heavyweight Motorcycle
4. Shane Scott, KTM, 10:28.658, Heavyweight Motorcycle
5. Codie Vahsholtz, HQV, 10:34.967, Middleweight Motorcycle

As for the other two-wheel classes, following are the winners in each division:

• Middleweight Motorcycle: Codie Vahsholtz, 2016 Husqvarna Supermoto, 10:34.967
• Lightweight Motorcycle: Davey Durelle, 2009 Aprilia SXV450, 10:35.3554
• Electric Motorcycle: Robert Barber, 2017 Buckeye Current RW-3x, 10:55.500

For full results, visit Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.