It’s being reported that his accident occurred after he crossed the finish line. Pikes Peak officials are yet to release a statement but Colorado Springs Gazette reports that Gooding lost control of his motorcycle while trying to slow down on an unpaved section of the summit. He eventually fell down an embankment and onto some boulders.
Goodin was no stranger to Pikes Peak, having come third in his class at last year’s event. He was competing yesterday in the middleweight division riding a Triumph Daytona 675R.
The fastest time set yesterday was a 9:05.801. The time was set by Swiss driver Romain Dumas competing in the Unlimited Division driving a 2013 Norma chassis. It was in this division that Frenchman Sébastien Loeb set an incredible time of 8:13.878 last year using a custom Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak. The next two fastest times were set by Mitsubishi’s new MiEV Evolution III electric race cars. Greg Tracy finished in 9:08.188 while his teammate Hiroshi Masuoka finished in 9:12.204.
First run in 1916, the annual Pikes Peak Hill Climb is a treacherous 12.42-mile/156 corner road course through the Rocky Mountains in Colorado commencing at an elevation of 9,390 feet and finishing at 14,110 feet—nearly 3 miles above sea level. It’s the country’s second oldest motorsport event after the Indianapolis 500 and in its entirety has seen five deaths, including that of Goodin. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.
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