Interview: Alan Heffernan, Desert Racer

Alan Heffernan is primarily a desert racer, but he has been competing in the Pikes Peak International Hill climb the past two years. Last year he came with Faulkner Livingston Racing. This year he came on his own, armed with a 1997 CR500, which has been grandfathered into the 450 Class. “It’s like bringing a gun to knife fight,” explains Heffernan. This analogy is especially spot-on when he talks about his secret weapon: Holtzman Engineering’s innovative carburetor compensator, used to combat the horsepower-robbing effects of altitude.

What’s next for Heffernan after Pikes Peak? A little vacation, and then he’ll return to Costa Rica to do a little surfing and fishing. Heffernan runs a motorcycle and surf camp in Costa Rica during the winter months. Then he will begin preparing for the Baja 1000.

As you will learn in Girl Wonder’s video interview, his “vacation” will likely include a few cold compresses to help him recover from the race.