2015 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Race Day

Race day at Pikes Peak is always a very interesting ordeal, as racers we have to be through the gates before 3am when they let the spectators start up the hill to their viewing points. Luckily they let us bring our bikes and gear up the night before so it's just getting ourselves through the gate and to the pit area, then it's nap time for a couple of hours while all the spectators drive up to their spots.

From Left to Right, Joey Kasper, Susan Bauer, Travis Newbold, Adam Bauer, and Brandon Fosbinder

Once we got the bike and gear unloaded after my nap we went up to watch the craziness that is Pikes Peak Race Day unfold and figure out when and where we should get all staged up. Race day is the only day that we get to run the entire course and we run the course hours later than we get to practice on it so the course is always different on race day. It's always a good time to get to run the whole thing and take on the challenge of the course being different!

Project Supertwin ready to go!

Middleweight runs second to the last of the motorbike divisions so we had some time to hang out and watch some of the other riders take off and get ourselves together for our run up the mountain. Had some words with Lacy and she told me to give her hell, who am I to argue?

Joey and Fos getting the bike ready, no clue what I am doing there...

I might have been a bit pissed off here and swearing a bunch...

Once I got suited up and got ready to get on the bike we got the camera rolling and the rider in front of me took off and I was up next. Then all of a sudden chaos as the rider in front of me was riding backwards back down to the start area and they lined him up next to me, waited a few minutes, then let him go again. I put my head down and just focused on getting back into it and waited for the flagger to give me a green flag to go.

Trying to get my focus back...

Ignoring the rider next to me that ran backwards down the course in front of me.

 Then he pointed the flag, I gave him a nod, and the flag was waved. I'll let my video do the rest of my talking for the run here:

And we are off, a feeling I can't explain.

At the top I made it across the finish line, slowed down on the dirt, and around to the rocks that we lean the bikes against up at 14,110 feet. A few fellow competitors were there cheering me on and smiles were everywhere along with some stories of everyones run. Once I got the bike parked and got the camera stopped everything kind of set in and I put my head on the rocks and had a moment for our buddy Carl. When I got back up I was greeted by one of the workers that was helping keep me calm on Thursday and by some fellow racers Jose and David who were pitting with Carl. Lots of tears, smiles, and laughter were had. Then the long wait till we could ride back down to see our families, friends, and fans!

A finish is a victory up here, everyone is equal up here.

This race is like no other race here in the states, we take risks to a certain point but leave some room for error, but that is a very thin line at times... To cross the finish line at this race is something very special and is hard to explain what it's like.

The finish, the excitement, the heartbreak... Gathering myself.

Toughest race of my life, especially after the finish.

Adam's time up the 12.42 miles and 156 turns was a 11:25.6, more than 51 seconds faster than last year on the same bike! We are very happy with that after all the heartache leading up to race day!

Nothing is like this, nothing.

We will leave race day with some photos of the craziness that is Pikes Peak, we hope to give her a go again on a bike that is competitive sometime in the not too distant future.

Adam all set to make the run up the hill.

Joey Kasper and Adam Bauer started Just-Us Racing back in 1995!

Yoshihiro Kishimoto and Adam getting ready and having some fun! Yoshi ran a sub 11 minute run on his electric bike!

Adam at the top of the mountain.

For Carl!

This run was for my dad and Carl, and it was a hell of a run!

You never know what the weather is gonna throw at ya up on top of Pikes Peak!

Ronin #1 ridden by Travis Newbold to 2nd fastest bike on the hill!

We hear they are going to have us ride down, we look out to a plow truck clearing the road...

Tagged, I started this by tagging Carl's 848 with Just-Us Racing... It kind of blew up form there!

Well, here we go! Nothing like cold race tires through snow and then down a freezing road surface!

Travis Newbold and Adam Bauer. We like to party!

My buddy Colin Barton and I at the top!

My buddy Neil and I at the top!

Mike Applehans and Adam before our slippery ride down the mountain.

Mike Applehans rode Carl's Triumph up in tribute to him on race day.

Mike was greeted at the top by us all, hell of a tribute.

I got to ride Carl's Triumph over to park it up top.

We got down to just above Glen Cove and it was warm and no snow, turned into a bit of a party with spectators coming out and taking pictures and hanging out. Was a good time.