MOTOGP TEXAS

MotoGP AUSTIN, TEXAS

words + images: Brian Rathjen

As the world began to open up from the bootless lockdowns and mandates of 2020, we began to make long-term plans for a trip later in the year to Valencia, Spain, and the nal round of MotoGP for 2021.

Then the race in Texas was announced and Spain was scrapped and Texas was now in focus.

Although we put the word out to many, only our friends John and Laurie took the bait – although they did not need much persuading.

Others we knew, like our friends and semi-neighbors Keith and Deb, would drive out, and another friend Jon, once press-maven for American Honda, would be Texas-bound as the calendar ran from September and into October.

When I looked back on it this story was about big wins; starting with the Mets last home game of the ‘not-such a surprise’ baseball season – the end of the season (at least in Flushing) and also the end of a storied legacy of road racing in the United States as well. I wish I could be writing about days and miles on the road, riding down to Texas, but the truth is we drove to CitiField to watch the game with fellow friends and riders, more to hang out, but keeping an eye on the Mets trouncing of the Marlins, capped off by a Grand Slam and the second solo homer by Pete Alonzo that night. The season might have fallen apart for our team, but the game and company were more than excellent to Shira and me.

As Howie Rose was saying to “Put it in the books!” we headed to a Crowne Plaza outside Newark airport for the night and to stash the Audi for a few days.

Friday – Practice

“You may all go to hell and I will go to Texas.” Davy Crockett

Early morning saw us winging our way to Austin, Texas, and the U.S. Round of MotoGP.

It was a short drive with the rented Chevy Impala (Enterprise, of course) to COTA, and we were walking into the track in time to catch the end of the rst round of practice for Moto III; the junior division featuring some young riders that may or may not be the future stars of the sport in the premier class.

There was a decent crowd here this day, but nothing like the mass of riders and fans that would be on hand on Sunday – race day.

The vendor area was interesting, with a few new products to be found. The MotoGP and COTA booths were all doing a brisk business, with the line for Valentino Rossi tees, ags, and other #46 items getting increasingly longer by the minute. Nicky Hayden, posthumously, was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame in the class of 2021, and there were lines of equal Rossi length to purchase #69 memorabilia as well. We saw one fan ying a

Nicky Hayden ag and nally tracked it down, to be proudly own at Backroads Central.

BMW, KTM, Honda, and Suzuki were all there giving demos, with some supplying helmets if you hadn’t brought your own.

We watched the rst practice for Moto2 and then strolled the massive Circuit of the Americas with John and Laurie, whom we found taking in practice near the rst turn with the uphill sweeping decreasing radius left run atop it. We grabbed some lunch from one of the food vendors scattered around the track and took a seat for the rest of the day before driving to our digs for the next three nights - La Calavera Casita – a truly ‘Keep Austin Weird’ sort of place … in the best of ways. Shira had found this last year before the Texas round of MotoGP got Fauci’d, and we lucked out on getting it again this time around.

Our new go-to place when in Austin.

That night we met up with Jon for dinner. Being that there was a music festival in town that same weekend – what a surprise – we opted to forgo downtown and instead drove over to a trendy barbeque/fusion restaurant before heading back to La Calavera Casita.

Saturday – Qualifying

This track is a premier destination for world-class motorsports and entertainment in the United States. Set on 1,500 acres in the rolling hills just outside downtown Austin, Circuit of The Americas has hosted the biggest names in racing, action sports, and music since 2012. At its heart is a 3.41-mile racetrack that was designed to challenge the world’s most exacting competitors while providing a thrilling spectacle for audiences. The 20-turn, counterclockwise circuit takes advantage of the naturally undulating landscape, including an intimidating 133-foot hill at Turn 1 that must be seen in person to be believed. It is home to the U.S Formula 1 Grand Prix and MotoGP races – the only ones in the country. It is also the largest permanent outdoor amphitheater in Central Texas, and its 251-foot signature observation tower. This unique treasure in the Live Music Capital of the World has hosted some of the biggest names in music and entertainment, including Texas icon Willie Nel-

son, Jimmy Buffett, KISS, Kenny Chesney, Maroon 5, and dozens more. A little-known band from England called The Rolling Stones would be taking the stage later in the year.

We were back at COTA rst thing the next day to take in some more practice before the qualify sessions that afternoon. For those who are not race fans, the Q1 & Q2 sessions set up the starting positions for the big races to be held on Sunday. Although I have never thought that “Pole” was a must, it certainly helps to be in the rst two rows of the races, as a good start can make all the difference at times.

We’d see that in action on Sunday.

With all the racers’ positions settled by 4 pm, we headed back into Austin and made a stop by the Super Mercado to stock up on burgers, dogs, ribs (?) and adult beverages – as we had a grill and staying put in our most excellent AirBnB for the night was much more enticing than trying to nd a restaurant during a weekend where Austin was hosting both MotoGP and a music festival. That evening Keith and Deb joined us and, with Moto III, II, and the American Grand Prix in the premier class coming our way; things were very good in Texas!

Sunday – Race Day

Although there were decent crowds all three days, Sunday saw the crowd size easily tripled. Although we had bounced around from section to section the previous days, this day we found our real ticketed seats and made ourselves at home; chatting it up with other race fans in the surrounding stand along turn 15, offering us good views of turns 12, 13 and 14 as well. The binoculars could bring us to turns 10 and 11, but we also had a massive video screen to watch every part of the action.

Even with all that was going on this weekend with the Delta variant, there were still over 100,000 in attendance; and it was the race fans, as much as the races themselves, that made this MotoGP return to Texas so much fun.

Here at COTA, there was not us vs. them, no vaxers vs. non-vaxers, no blue vs. red – but just race fans nally getting to see MotoGP right in front of them.

For sure there was friendly banter between folks backing their favorite racer… Okay, maybe blue vs red here – but that was just the Quatararo and Morbidelli fans (Yamaha) vs Bagnaia and Miller peeps (Ducati).

Then there was the Marquez crowd against everybody else; everyone else returned the good-hearted jabs.

No matter who you may have been backing, everyone was excited to see Valentino Rossi, as he would be racing for the last time in the United States.

Moto 3

This class always entertains. Most of them are still in their teens, and it shows with that age bravado and desire to win and prove themselves.

The original race was red- agged with 7 laps completed (and 10 remaining) after Filip Salac needed medical attention following a highside.

A 5-lap dash was announced for the restart, but with three laps to go there was a massive accident on the back straight when Jeremy Alcoba clipped the back wheel of Deniz Oncu and fell, with Andrea Migno and Acosta then being launched into the air after hitting Alcoba’s stricken bike at around 160mph. Although out of our immediate view we saw it all on the big screen and there was a collective gasp from the entire track.

Miraculously, none of the riders were seriously hurt, and then there was a collective applause as all the riders were shaken, but not stirred.

With less than 2/3rds of the restart completed and no time for another restart (unless moved to the end of the day), as per the rules, the result was taken from the end of the rst race.

That meant Guevara - who had retired from the restart lead with a technical problem, leaving him in tears after a meltdown in the pits (He is just 17, you know what I mean) - was suddenly declared a rst-time Grand Prix winner.

Dennis Foggia had closed to within 30 points from Acosta, while fellow title contender Sergio Garcia was ruled out of the remainder of the weekend after a hematoma on his kidney was discovered following a Friday fall.

World championship leader Remy Gardner fell from an early second place while chasing team-mate and title rival Raul Fernandez, meaning the Australian’s world championship lead had been reduced to just 9 points with three rounds to go.

Fabio di Giannantonio then made occasional gains in pursuit of Fernandez, but never got within reach of the Red Bull Ajo rider.

Rounding out the podium was Marco Bezzecchi with US rider Cameron Beaubier right on his tail in fourth.

MotoGP

It was now time for the premier class, the big kahuna, the race all had come to see – MotoGP!

Like the Metropolitans lop-sided victory over the Miami Marlins at the beginning of this tale, the race was dominated by one man. Eight-time world champion Marc Marquez scored his second victory of the season as MotoGP returned to the COTA circuit for the rst time since 2019.

The Spaniard, who has six titles in the premier division and two in the support series, led all 20 laps of the main event after starting third. He nished more than 4 seconds ahead of runner-up Fabio Quartararo.

It was the 58th career victory in MotoGP and seventh in eight starts at COTA for Marquez, who missed all but one race and the start of the 2021 season after injuring his arm during a crash in the season opener.

Marquez celebrated winning the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas by carrying a Nicky Hayden ag on his victory.

“The plan exactly was like I did the race,” Marquez said. “Start well, be rst in the rst corner. And then when the tires started to drop a little bit, start to push. That’s exactly what I did, and then I saw I increased the gap and was riding comfortably.”

Also on the podium were points leader Fabio Quartararo second, and Francesco Bagnaia taking a distant third.

Still, every race has another story as Joan Mir made contact with Jack Miller, who was skillfully making a charge through the pack. This was the second time in the race Mir had pushed Miller out.

This last lap contact cost Miller precious points and he was fuming at making his feelings clear as he grabbed the reigning world champion’s helmet and shouted a warning into the Suzuki rider’s face and on the slowdown lap. To say he was pissed is an understatement. Mir was penalized for his actions.

But there was one other thing that had every spectator on their feet, bittersweet as it was…

It was Valentino Rossi - #46, the racer, the MotoGP legend. This was his last racing laps on US soil and the pouring out of love and admiration for the Italian who in his long career, more than a quarter of a century, has earned nine World Championships, 115 victories and 235 podiums in

414 starts entering the weekend. With one championship in the 250 class, another in 125s, and seven in the top division, Rossi is the only rider in history to win in all three divisions.

Everyone stood and cheered as he rode past us - a long wheelie and a happy goodbye wave to the thousand that have been so taken with this man who changed road racing forever.

We slowly made our way to the car and, eventually, to La Calavera Casita and one last night in Austin before the ho-hum ight back to New Jersey.

MotoGP… is the most exciting racing there is on the planet.

We watch every race, follow all the news, and if you ever get the chance to see the best of the best on the fastest and most advanced motorcycles on the planet you should make it happen. We are already set for a return to Austin in April of 2022.

The red light goes out for us all! ,