FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – JUNE 29, 2010
iPhone 4 Short Film – “156 Turns” – Ducati Spider Grips Mulitstrada Rider Greg Tracy Wins at the 2010 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.  First Viral iPhone 4 Extreme Action Adventure Video:

Colorado Springs, Colorado – June 27, 2010 – Every year, Colorado Springs welcomes the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, nearly the oldest motorsports race in the United States second only to the Indy 500.  However, this year, the race’s 88th anniversary, proved to be a little different.  As the event date neared, so did the launch of Apple’s newest release–the iPhone 4.  Hoptocopter Films (http://www.hoptocopter.com) principle Seth Schaeffer had a vision.  The mission: to combine the winning elements of the Ducati Spider Grips Multistrada Team (http://pikespeak.ducatiusa.com/), the prestigious and world-famous Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (http://www.ppihc.com), top racer and Hollywood stuntman Greg Tracy (http://www.mylifeatspeed.com), and the newest release of Apple’s iPhone 4.

Schaeffer accomplished this mission by being one of the first in the world to test the limits of the latest technology advancement of Apple’s iPhone 4 during one of the most extreme races known to man, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.  The early question was a simple one.  How would the Apple iPhone 4 perform?  Could an iPhone handle the extreme conditions of 14,000 foot peaks at 135 miles per hour with 156 turns, 3000 foot drop offs, 60% asphalt, 40% dirt, 40 degrees of temperature shifts, and 12.4 miles from start to summit in less than 12 minutes?  Apple stepped up to help by ensuring that the team would receive eight Apple iPhone 4s the same day Apple released this newest technology to the world–on June 24, 2010, only four days before the race.

As the idea quickly unfolded, Schaeffer enlisted the help of Greg Tracy as well as to Chris Nazarenus of Triple Nickel Films (http://www.triplenickelfilms.com). Nazarenus is a producer with many years of managing media on the Pikes Peak mountain and the experience to lead the production team.  Tracy is one of the top stuntmen in Hollywood and has worked on films such as GI Joe, The Bourne Ultimatum, Talladega Nights, Death Race, and Spiderman 3.  He has been racing this particular race for the past 14 years and holds 5 (now 6) Pikes Peak International Hill Climb titles as a part of his resume.   His passion for technology and directing has always been at the forefront of his career.   Ironically, Tracy would be racing in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb for the Ducati Spider Grips team, piloting the newly-released 1200cc Ducati Multistrada, one of the greatest motorcycles released in recent history.

Tracy was enthusiastically “in” and on-board to help Schaeffer produce and direct the viral short-form film, “156 Turns,” shot solely on the newly-released Apple iPhone 4. Tracy felt that the combination of the “latest and greatest” technology in the video and motorcycle arena was a perfect partnership of innovation.  “Directing and filming at an event like Pikes Peak takes extreme athleticism and an understanding of how you need to capture the risk and emotion of what drives us to risk life and limb to race up a 14,000 foot peak for the mere satisfaction of saying we got to the top,” said Tracy.  “To win is part of my emotional makeup, and to have the first corporately produced Apple iPhone 4 viral video out there is part of who I am.  The opportunity to pull together our Ducati Spider Grips Multistrada team with Seth Schaeffer and Chris Nazarenus created the winning combination to capture what we know as part of our experience.”

“Needless to say not knowing what quality of video the iPhone 4 would produce was a daunting dilemma,” said Schaeffer.  “I had faith in Apple’s track record, our team, and Greg Tracy to win – to make sure we all ended up on top.”  Not only did the historic event prove to be a test for the technology of the iPhone 4 and the Ducati Multistrada, it became a test for all due to the extreme nature of the race.  In addition to Apple’s help in making sure the team had the new iPhone 4s, Owle (http://www.wantowle.com/) Bubo mount, and GPSCity.com (RAM Mounts) helped to provide the team with additional mounting devices for filming in such extreme conditions. “Owle and GPSCity.com (RAM Mounts) rocked, and I personally endorse their products,” said Schaeffer.  “The Owle Bubo mount was critical to our success.”

The Ducati Spider Grips team combined risk, reward, technology, passion, and one of the top racers, Greg Tracy, to reach a single goal–to get to the top of Pikes Peak first and to survive to tell about it.   Greg Tracy did just that; on June 27, 2010, Tracy won the 1200cc motorcycle class at the 2010 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Greg Tracy accomplished his dream, and he, Seth Schaeffer, and Chris Nazarenus captured it for the world to experience by merely using a phone.

Contact Info:
Chris Nazarenus
Triple Nickel Films
720 635 5244
cnaz@triple-5.com

Please feel to call for interviews, additional content from the Apple iPhone 4, and future production.

Special thanks to the crew:  Carrington Schaeffer, Rob Labig, Andy DeVol, Adam Dawson, Rick Beets, and Glen Cox for your amazing iPhone 4G shooting ability!

About:
Hoptocopter Films – http://www.hoptocopter.com
Hoptocopter Films is a video production studio based in Western Colorado (Grand Junction, CO) that specializes in producing and marketing local (but not local-looking) and national commercial video production, music video production, and creative viral videos.

Greg Tracy – http://www.mylifeatspeed.com
My Life at Speed is about all things fast, about interesting people, and about whatever else I think someone out there will appreciate.  My name Is Greg Tracy, and I am the 5 time Pikes Peak Champion. I make my living as a stunt driver in movies and commercials. The lifestyle associated with going fast is one filled with high energy characters, risk takers, and lots of great stories. That is what you will find here.

Spider Grips – http://www.spidergrips.com/
When it comes to research and development, we tend to believe in a “hands-on” approach.  It has been said that the fastest way to advance technology is through war or through competition.  We obviously prefer the latter.  That’s why we go racing.  What better way to put to risk the various text book theories about vibration dampening, contact surface, and durability than to get out there and get dirty yourself.  For us, racing is as much about R&D as it is about “being the fastest,” so our racing schedule keeps us very busy.  We have found a direct connection between the amount of racing we do and the quality of grip we produce, which in turn, justifies even more racing.  In the process of developing a grip unlike any other, we have accumulated some impressive accomplishments.  But don’t get the wrong idea – through it is fun venturing off to places like Pikes Peak, Baja, and Bonneville for some friendly competition, make no mistake about it, it’s all about developing great grips….and racing, but mostly developing.

Ducati Motorcycles – http://www.ducati.com
The world’s most attractive motorcycles are the result of a deep commitment to racing competitions; they are the purest expression of refined skill, unmistakable design, and above all, a great passion for bikes. Ducati is proud to represent Italian industry – the essence of Italian style shows through the design of each bike: sinuous, seductive, and flexible lines with a permanent, timeless quality that sets an unsurpassable standard. Superbike, Monster, Streetfighter, Hypermotard, Multistrada, and SportClassic– in over 60 nations throughout the world, these models dominate the dreams of the most ardent motorcycle enthusiasts. The list of our bikes’ victories is proof of the value of our working philosophy: in the World Superbike Championship, Ducati has won 15 out of the last 18 riders’ titles and 16 manufacturers’ titles, while in the 2007 MotoGP championship – less than four years after Ducati’s debut in the series – our Desmosedici GP7 topped the world Riders and Manufacturers’ rankings.

Triple Nickel Films – http://www.triplenickelfilms.com
Triple Nickel is a new media company working in the motorsports industry. By utilizing the best creative talent to develop cutting-edge strategies to maximize the return for the client via online approaches, 555, has already established significant online brand equity for our clients.  Although we are a new company, key clients are already seeking out our services. We are also currently working on a feature HD film on the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb as well as client specific viral projects.

Owle Mounts http://www.wantowle.com
The OWLE Bubo is a camera mount that brings the best features of a camcorder to the iPhone 3GS: stability, optics, microphones, and tripods! The OWLE Bubo is made of a solid piece of aluminum making it virtually indestructible. The OWLE Bubo comes standard with 37mm lens threading, as well as a 0.45x wide angle/ macro lens combination. This is a real piece of optics, delivering stunning images with better color saturation, contrast, and sharpness than is possible with the iPhone’s camera alone. The wide angle lens accepts 49mm screw in filters which are sold separately. The OWLE Bubo provides 4 x 1/4″-20 female threaded mounting holes (1 on top and bottom of each of the 2 hand grips) and also has a cold shoe mount and recesses allowing access to important areas such as the 3.5mm jack and bottom port of your iPhone while the iPhone is docked within the Bubo. Unseating the iPhone from the OWLE Bubo is easy (even for those the thickest fingers) thanks to the ergonomic access port. Coming soon for the 4G.

Dumonde Tech Racing Oils – http://www.dumondetech.com
Established in 1985 in Kirkland, Washington, Dumonde Tech racing oils has become one of the world leaders in lubrication development and in sales of high performance lubricants for motorsports and bicycles as well as in green, earth-friendly oil technologies.  At Dumonde, we continually push the performance envelope–that’s why we are a huge factor of success at some of the world’s most brutal races such as Bonneville, Baja, Pikes Peak, and many more.  Also, we are a major contributor at national and world championships from bicycle to Indy car.  We are proud that we are the leader in MCR (micro compound reactions) research in lubricants.

GPS City Ram Mounts – http://www.gpscity.com
About Express Mounts and GPS CITY: Established in 1994, GPS CITY (www.gpscity.com) and its sister company GPS CITY Canada (www.gpscity.ca) quickly became the Internet’s leading source for information and purchases of GPS systems and accessories. In 2000, its corporate headquarters moved from Calgary, Alberta to Las Vegas, Nevada, and the company has enjoyed significant growth ever since. In 2005, GPS CITY founded a separate division, Express Mounts (www.expressmounts.com), to cater to consumers who wanted high quality, low cost mounting solutions for their GPS systems, computers, cellphones and televisions. Currently, GPS CITY is a leading reseller of Garmin and other brand name GPS products and is one of the top resellers of GPS mounting systems in the world.