Australian MotoGP
I went to the Australian MotoGP race this past weekend, which is the first time I've ever seen live motorcycle racing. It was pretty exciting.
Unlike Formula 1 or NASCAR racing, there is no refueling during a GP race and thus the races are pretty short. On this track, they were 26 laps, and would last maybe 30 minutes start to finish. To fill the day up a bit more, there were also races for lower class bikes.
For those that don't know, motorcycle racing is classed by engine size. The three classes that raced on this day were 125GP, which is a 125cc engine, 250GP, and MotoGP, which is a 1000cc engine. All the engines are unmuffled, and as the displacement goes up, so does the noise.
The 125cc race was a lot of fun to watch. This is usually the class that most professional riders start in, so all the riders are pretty young. In this particular race, the ages varied from 15 to 19 years old. I did find it ironic that the racer who was not allowed to drive himself to the track was allowed to drive a motorcycle at 160km/h. I bet i know what his first vehicle will be.
The 250GP race was the only race that did not have a crash. It was good, and ended on a high note, because the rider who won the race secured the season championship by doing so, so there was much celebrating in his pit crew, and around the track.
As we waited for the Moto race to start, we were treated to a surprise visit from an F-18 fighter jet, as there were Australian Marines at the track, doing some sort of demonstration. We all had to agree that the fighter jet was cooler than the motorcycles, but only just.
Then, at last, it was time for the Moto race. There is no way to describe with words what it sounds like when 24 unmuffled motorcycle engines start up. And these engines are tuned to the absolute limit of performance, which makes them even louder. Most of the engines put out 250-275 hp, approximately the same as my sports car, and they are feeding all of that power into one wheel, attached to a 350lb motorcycle. They are a sight to behold when they are travelling around the track at 300km/h.
Currently there is a rider on the circuit, named Valentino Rossi, who is one of the best riders to ever compete in this sport. He holds most of the records that there are to hold, and he is only 27. Watching him race is like watching a professional among amateurs. It was truly amazing, to see one person excel so much among a field of racers who are the best in the world at what they do.
The day was also interesting because roughly 20,000 people had come to the track on their own motorcycles. Seeing that many bikes in one place was very impressive, and when they all started up to drive home at the end of the day, they almost made as much noise as the Moto bikes.
Unlike Formula 1 or NASCAR racing, there is no refueling during a GP race and thus the races are pretty short. On this track, they were 26 laps, and would last maybe 30 minutes start to finish. To fill the day up a bit more, there were also races for lower class bikes.
For those that don't know, motorcycle racing is classed by engine size. The three classes that raced on this day were 125GP, which is a 125cc engine, 250GP, and MotoGP, which is a 1000cc engine. All the engines are unmuffled, and as the displacement goes up, so does the noise.
The 125cc race was a lot of fun to watch. This is usually the class that most professional riders start in, so all the riders are pretty young. In this particular race, the ages varied from 15 to 19 years old. I did find it ironic that the racer who was not allowed to drive himself to the track was allowed to drive a motorcycle at 160km/h. I bet i know what his first vehicle will be.
The 250GP race was the only race that did not have a crash. It was good, and ended on a high note, because the rider who won the race secured the season championship by doing so, so there was much celebrating in his pit crew, and around the track.
As we waited for the Moto race to start, we were treated to a surprise visit from an F-18 fighter jet, as there were Australian Marines at the track, doing some sort of demonstration. We all had to agree that the fighter jet was cooler than the motorcycles, but only just.
Then, at last, it was time for the Moto race. There is no way to describe with words what it sounds like when 24 unmuffled motorcycle engines start up. And these engines are tuned to the absolute limit of performance, which makes them even louder. Most of the engines put out 250-275 hp, approximately the same as my sports car, and they are feeding all of that power into one wheel, attached to a 350lb motorcycle. They are a sight to behold when they are travelling around the track at 300km/h.
Currently there is a rider on the circuit, named Valentino Rossi, who is one of the best riders to ever compete in this sport. He holds most of the records that there are to hold, and he is only 27. Watching him race is like watching a professional among amateurs. It was truly amazing, to see one person excel so much among a field of racers who are the best in the world at what they do.
The day was also interesting because roughly 20,000 people had come to the track on their own motorcycles. Seeing that many bikes in one place was very impressive, and when they all started up to drive home at the end of the day, they almost made as much noise as the Moto bikes.
posted by BigPete at 7:40 PM
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