MotoGP racing hooked me online even before I steered away from power cruisers like my old Triumph Rocket III and Honda VTX1800C to a Ducati Multistrada 1260S earlier this year. Perhaps watching young riders rocket through turns on 220mph GP bikes even had something to do with my switch to a sportier tourer. During the pandemic, I’ve watched quite a few races online, VPNing into European countries to watch “locally”, or waiting for Sunday afternoon replays on NBCSN or YouTube. (I guess I wasn’t so hooked as to spring for the expensive MotoGP VideoPass for live viewing–plus watching European races live means the wee hours in Texas, and I need my beauty sleep.) So, a few months ago, when the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin confirmed they’d be hosting the only American MotoGP event in early October, Austinite Erik and I jumped on full weekend passes. Turns out we didn’t need to rush, as biker buddies David and Edgar bought tickets just days before the event and joined us for a trio on Saturday and foursome on Sunday.
That first weekend in October was hot and mostly sunny, so we were glad to be sitting in the Main Grandstand Club section, one of the few shaded areas around the track with easy access to amenities such as the Velocity Lounge (for really fast food). Other grandstands around the track offered better views of twisty turns, but seemingly at the price of sunburns and heatstroke. So, I was duly lauded by our group for picking our Club section. Unfortunately, I was also relentlessly derided for not picking the adjacent parking lot A, but rather the cheaper and distant lot T. Apparently lower letter lots are what you want at COTA, which was surprisingly lacking in shuttles (saw several parked/empty, but never one in action…a COTA fail), so lot T made for quite a hike each day, especially leaving (all uphill). Not to mention the hour-long wait in the car just to exit lot T on Sunday afternoon (very poor parking lot traffic control was another COTA fail)…but I digress, back to the track…
If you really wanted to save money with General Admission tickets, there are hillside areas to drop a folding chair or blanket. Just be sure to bring your own shade in the form of umbrellas and hats.
David saved us by bringing enough tethered ear plugs for all four of us. The only MotoGP veteran, he was well aware of just how ear-shattering the unmuffled, unrestricted GP bikes are at full throttle. The rest of us newbies were very grateful for the ear plugs since we couldn’t find any being sold…at a race track (another COTA fail).
Ducati Island was the place to be for Ducatistas, offering new Ducati bikes to sit and drool on, overpriced Ducati gear for the price-insensitive, and even Ducati-only parking…filled with a long line of (mostly) red Italian bikes. Guess where I’ll be parking next year?!
With immortal young riders pushing and occasionally exceeding the limits of their machines and tire traction, crashes are not uncommon in MotoGP, perhaps more so in Moto2 & 3 classes filled with teens. Fortunately, most crashes are “low sides” in which the bike and rider slide off the track and into the rock fields that slow them to a stop. While walking around the track, Edgar and I watched one Moto2 rider hop right up after sliding out on a corner and walk over to a waiting golf cart driven by a Medical Crew while waving to the fans, followed by a Track Crew who loaded his wrecked bike on a trailer, all within a few minutes. Glad to see the rider safe, and the efficient Moto-Cleanup.
Yellow smoke bombs filled the Paddock seats near the starting line shortly before the MotoGP race. We could smell it from our distant Club seats, so I wondered if the riders disliked breathing the cloud as they prepared for launch, even Rossi. But, moto fans gonna be (Grazie!) Vale fans.
Just like last spring when Varya and I biked through the hill country, our host and hostess, Erik and Liza, were awesome! They graciously offered their west Austin home to us cheap crashers, feeding us great morning breakfasts and wining and dining us each night with Erik’s grilled steaks and Liza’s amazing cuisine. 5 Stars all around…soon to be 6 when the new pool is finished! 😉
We appreciate and thank you both, Liza & Erik!
Moonday 