Chip Yates To Compete At Pikes Peak With Lightning

Troy Siahaan
by Troy Siahaan

Now that the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is fully paved, the event is drawing a number of racers worldwide for the 91st running. The latest to announce his entry into the motorcycle field is six-time winner Chip Yates, aboard a Lightning superbike.

Among the number of competitors, Yates will be competing against another Pikes Peak winner, Greg Tracy, aboard an Amarok P1A. On paper, Yates should have the advantage, as the Lightning makes considerably more power than the Amarok, but no race is complete until the checkered flag waves, and anything can happen.

“The Lightning Electric Superbike is the only electric motorcycle to ever show a higher top speed [than 190 mph, the previous record which was held by Yates]. The amazing thing about the Lightning bike, is that it‘s a full-on 180-horsepower electric superbike, faster than a Suzuki GSX-R1000, that anyone can buy – it’s actually in production up in Northern California” Yates said.

The legendary Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the second oldest motor sports race in the United States behind the Indy 500. The fully paved course features 156 turns over 12.42 miles, sheer drop-offs and an elevation that increases by more than 5,000 feet from the start line to the 14,110-foot summit. All on a public highway closed off for this event. The race takes place Sunday, June 30, with activities scheduled the entire week prior. Visit the Pikes Peak website for more information.

Troy Siahaan
Troy Siahaan

Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.

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