AMA members who compete in the 2014 Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, an AMA-sanctioned competition event, on June 29 in Colorado Springs, Colo., will be better protected in the event of a crash, thanks to the Roadracing World Action Fund. 

"We appreciate the Roadracing World Action Fund providing soft barriers for deployment at the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb," said AMA Director of Racing Bill Cumbow. "Safety is paramount at all AMA-sanctioned events, and this soft barrier deployment can help reduce rider injuries in the event of a crash." 

The Roadracing World Action Fund is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping prevent injuries by providing Airfence-brand soft barriers for deployment at road racing and dirt-track events. The soft barriers are positioned in front of walls and other trackside obstacles and combine a system of internal air chambers and blow-off valves to absorb energy and reduce the force of impact in the event of a crash. 

The Pikes Peak International Hillclimb is one of the oldest motorsports events in the world. Known as "The Race to the Clouds," the first running was in 1916. The race is run on a 12.42-mile course with 156 turns. It begins at 9,390 feet and finishes at the 14,115-foot summit of Pikes Peak. The motorcycle portion of the competition is AMA-sanctioned. 

"We’re happy to work with the AMA and the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb on this soft barrier deployment," said John Ulrich, founder and president of the Roadracing World Action Fund and an AMA board member. "The Roadracing World Action Fund’s mission is to make racing safer for competitors, and soft-barrier deployment is an important piece of a comprehensive safety program. We’d like to thank all the individuals, organizations and businesses that have contributed to the Roadracing World Action Fund for making this and other deployments possible." 

For more information about the Roadracing World Action Fund, visit actionfund.roadracingworld.com.