Mentone resident to compete in 90th annual event at Pikes Peak
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Anthony Gadson-agadson@timesuniononline.com
MENTONE — Mentone resident Chase Guthrie is involved in a sport that couldn’t be any less conducive to the state of Indiana. Taking part in SuperMoto, Guthrie’s sport requires hills and curves, but even with those being rare in this area, he makes it work. “I do a little off-roading at a friend’s property,” the 27-year-old Guthrie said. Despite the lack of practice terrain, Guthrie will be making his second-straight trip to Colorado Springs in July to compete in the 90th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The race is second only to the Indianapolis 500 in terms of longevity, but the risk in the race is second to none. In an asphalt race where waves of five racers climb 9,390 elevation feet to 14,110 over a stretch of 12.42 miles, the 156 turns at 80 to 100 miles per hour can be pretty demanding. “Last year, two riders were lifted out on helicopters and several others wrecked,” Guthrie said. “The danger is extremely high.” Despite the risk, Guthrie musters on with the support of his family, including his wife Amanda and year-and-a-half-old daughter Graycen. “She does get nervous and a little stressed during the week,” Guthrie said about his wife. The Guthrie clan will be joined by a friend, as well as Amanda’s parents and Chase’s father Rayce and sister this season, making the week long stay a vacation for some, but work for Chase. With the race set for July 8, competitors in the 450cc division will have their bikes inspected July 3, then will have practice Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, practicing on a different third of the course each day. Following an off day Saturday, the races begin Sunday, when Guthrie will work to improve on last year’s sixth-place finish, which came in a time of 12 minutes and 40 seconds. “I was real happy with how I did last year as a rookie, racing against racers from all over the world,” he said. Racing in a different altitude, tuning his motor for the air pressure change can be tricky, but with a year under his belt, he’s feeling more comfortable this time around. “There is a lot of fine tuning that gets done once you get there,” he said. “Last year, I ran pretty close to a stock motor, so there’s plenty of room for improvement.” Guthrie’s motor for his 2011 Kawasaki is currently being tweaked at his parents’ motorcyle dealership in Bloomington, but he’s been making plenty of trips south to work on it with his father. “My dad and I do all the bike work,” he said. “With the motors being in Bloomington, I’ve been going down every weekend. I’ve gone five-in-a-row.” Working with his father, Guthrie is working with the person who got him involved with the sport. After racing as a teenager, Guthrie’s father eventually put the sport aside to raise a family and open the family shop, Bloomington Power Sports. With the family working in the business, Guthrie first began riding at 5 years of age, but didn’t get competitive until he was a teenager. Upon graduating from Vincennes University, he moved north for work, but his love of riding bikes didn’t change. Racing in Michigan and Wisconsin events, Guthrie earned his way into last year’s Pikes Peak run, and did so again this year. Having already run the course last season, the tuning of the bike isn’t all he’s ready for this time around. During last year’s run, he had a helmet camera, documenting each turn along the way and he reviews it routinely. “I remember a lot and have the footage,” he said. “I’ve got it on my phone to keep it fresh in my mind. The biggest thing is, it shows me which turns I can take fast and slow.” And racing up a mountain with sparse guard rails and an average grade of 7 percent, hitting 10.5 maximum plus grade, any help is welcomed when it’s more about pride than money on the line. “There isn’t a lot of cash,” he said. “It’s more about prestige.” When Guthrie embarks on the 1,000-plus mile trip to Colorado Springs, he’ll be bunking up in a hotel, while some of his competitors will be living a little more luxurious. “You have teams sponsored by Red Bull out there and you have your low budget teams — like us,” he said. But at the end of the day, all the racers have a common trait — a love for the sport and a need to race up Pikes Peak. “It’s the only race of its kind in the U.S. and is the second oldest in the U.S.,” he said. “Only the Indy 500 has been going on longer, as Pikes Peak will have its 90th running this year.”
