Whether you’re an obsessed motorbike fan, part time fan or never been a fan, I think we can all agree there’s something spectacular and frightening about watching a motorbike rider hurdle himself into a corner at over 300km per hour. Especially while clinging to a fancy looking two wheeled – motor driven – work of art. Maybe, it’s the ferocious roar of the engines as they weaving their way round the circuit, or perhaps it’s the thrill of imminent danger that the riders face on a daily basis. But for this Mooks reporter, it’s all about the racing atmosphere.
Every year around the same time, the picturesque Victorian peninsular of Phillip Island erupts to the ferocious sound of the Moto Grand Prix World Championships.
There’s nothing quite like joining 50,000 spectators huddled around one of the fastest tracks in the world. It’s all about witnessing a short but memorable glimpse of riders challenging the very limits of what’s possible on a motorbike. Round and round they go, whizzing past like a swarm of wasps honing in on their target – it’s an electric atmosphere as people from all over Australia and the world congregate to celebrate all things motorbike.
It was late in the afternoon and the rain had held off, as 24 MotoGP contestants lined the grid in anticipation of the big race. A faint smell of aviation fuel permeated the air, as bikes and riders sat patiently. This year it was all eyes on Casey Stoner, 24, who has been out of the last two races due to a mysterious illness. Stoner qualified first on the grid and as one of the media presenters remarked, “he’s the White Knight of Phillip Island”, adorned in a white racing outfit and matching bike, with customary red racing stripes – for good measure.
Before we knew it the green light dropped and a thunderous roar bellowed out across the Island as the grid stormed off for the first turn. Stoner dropped back momentarily to second place, only to regain first almost immediately. The 30-lap race began to (literally) fly-by before our eyes, and Stoner held onto first position. All the while championship leader Valentino Rossi stayed hot on his heels, awaiting a mistake, or for his moment to strike. But Stoner blazed his way into a third consecutive win at Phillip Island and reasserted himself as one of Australia’s best MotoGP riders.
Tags: Casey Stoner, Ducati, moto, motogp, Motogp Championships, motorbike, motorbike racing, Phillip Island, Ride, Rossi, White Knight
