MotoGP @ COTA this weekend

[Twist]

When my son moved to Texas several years ago we immediately started talking about some quality father son time at MotoGP and F1 races in Austin. Well, job turbulence and a pesky pandemic later, we're finally meeting up this evening in Austin to spend the weekend watching very fast riders on crazy fast motorcycles and enjoying the circus there. Since we've been anticipating this for so long and who knows when we'll do it again so I sprung for the VIP COTA Club access - concierge, open bar and food all weekend, paddock walks, free range of the facility. Can't wait to see this in person; and, spend the weekend in some beautiful warm weather.

One of the events Saturday and Sunday between track events is the Red Bull Trials Demonstration Team. That'll be a hoot to see people who actually know how to ride the thing showing off for us. Well, not that people on here don't know what they're doing; and well, you know, like to show off...but you know what I mean.

[Bucho]

Having paddock access will be cool. I'm sure you will have a good time

[davej]

hows it going out there, any pics or stories?

[Twist]

hows it going out there, any pics or stories?

Here's a pic or two (with more story to come):

Met Jack Miller on a walk through the paddock. He brought his A game this weekend:


View of the stadium section from the tower:


We met another couple of interesting people on our stroll through the Pramac Ducati paddock:




Petrucci is racing in MotoAmerica now and pretty much stole the show there winning both of those races and not even close:



The coolest thing we saw all weekend though was the inaugural Talent Cup race series of 13-16 year olds racing identically prepared Aprilia 250cc race bikes. We met some of the kids and their families. Blown minds minds all around - kids getting to race at COTA, hang out with MotoGP starts, and getting asked for their autographs. The kids had never seen these bikes until they arrived at COTA.

[Bucho]

Sounds like it was a great time. The Talent Cup sounds really cool.

[Rut Row]

here's the YT of the Talent Cup race

https://youtu.be/z1eg_BXV4_8

[Twist]

We stopped in to their paddock area to talk with some of the Talent Cup "teams." I put teams in quotes because it was moms, dads, maybe a sister on the team. Those guys showed up at Cota having never seen the bikes before. They had to put oil, coolant, and gas in them and the only thing they could change on the bike was the final gearing and set the suspension. The guys we talked to most were Hayden Meng and his dad. He's the youngest rider in the Cup series and has mid-pack pace right now. It was pretty cool to see the enthusiasm of racing at COTA and getting to meet MotoGP legends while there. It'll be fun to follow the series to see how these young riders progress and what a great thing for American road racing.