If all goes according to plan (and we're not in the unhatched chicken-counting business) our poet and track tester, Travis Newbold will be racing the Kriega Bottpower XR1R in the 95th Pikes Peak International Hillclimb on Sunday morning.
Travis's expertise as a racer and race bike preparer has been crucial. Bott took on a huge challenge: a race they've never attended, in a different continent, with a brand new bike using an engine that looks similar to the one their frames are made for, but is fundamentally different. They weren't helped by the bike being held up by the courier company and arriving in the US after the first official practice. Travis has helped the Bott crew prepare the bike for the race and set the fourth fastest time in the top section in yesterday's practice (the course is split for practice, so competitors only get one run at the complete track, and that's the one run on race day).
We have words and images from Travis's practice in Spain in our STORIES section. Click Bottpower XR1R Testing to see more. Many thanks to Mario Rodrigo Martin for the great shots. Check out the Sideburn logo on his arms.
HOW TO FOLLOW TRAVIS
If you can't get out to Colorado for the race, it is being livestreamed.
The race starts at 8am Colorado time (google it). IMPORTANT: Motorcycles run the course first and they only run it once. The exact running order of the bikes is not determined until later today.
Here are the details of the livestream.
The PPIHC and Matchsports will deliver a high-quality, live broadcast covering the entire race course from start to finish for the first time! The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will be the group's flagship event in the United States for 2017, with further events steadily building the international IPTV calendar. The first year of a 10-year partnership will see the PPIHC live-streamed using revolutionary production techniques specifically adapted by Matchsports to overcome Pikes Peak's many challenges. Just go to live.matchsports.com/ppihc.html and enjoy the race live.
You have to sign up to watch, so give yourself time to do that.
There is also an official app to follow the timing.
Follow the race with the all new free PPIHC App, available for mobile devices running Apple's iOS9.0+ or Android version 5.0+ operating systems. The app has numerous features to keep global race fans informed before, during, and after the race. Users can add favorite drivers, allowing them to receive timely push notifications to their mobile device as their competitor races to the Summit. Live leaderboard with section times, racer profiles, and more are available in the app. Download the Official PPIHC App on your favorite iOS and Android devices.
Now READ Bottpower XR1R Testing
Best of luck to Travis and the Bottpower team!