MotoGP Heads to the Hills of Italy
May 24, 2009 by Warren Hayashi
Filed under Racing
Last weeks Grand Prix de France was the first flag-to-flag ride of this year’s Moto Grand Prix championship, when two riders and their sportbikes were basically the race and the others riders as much spectators as the rest of us. This was a new experience for seven riders on the grid, being a spectator of the race between two of the world’s greatest sportbike racers and certainly one they hope to emulate and be part of in the future.
MotoGP heads to Italy
One of these racers who was experiencing the two racer scenario for the first time is Monster Yamaha Tech’s James Toseland, who managed to place ninth in the variable weather of Le Mans that had the racers trying to decide when they should go to wet tires or if they should stick to the dry tires. After returning to the top ten in France, Toseland and the rest of the Moto Grand Prix crew are headed to Mugello in Italy to race on one of the most popular and fan friendly courses on the circuit.
As racing environments and fan atmospheres go, they don’t get better then Mugello on the Moto Grand Prix circuit. The surrounding Italian hills act as a natural auditorium that echoes the sounds of the bikes and the cheering crowds over the duration of the Grand Prix weekend at the Gran Premio d’Italia. The amazing greenery in the surrounding country side is breathtaking beside an invasion of the yellow of passionate Italian fans. Poggio Secco will of course be full to the rim with Valentino Rossi fanatics as always, the roar of his fans as he passes this area of the course surely fills Rossi with energy every time he goes past.
If you’re standing in the Rossi section you also get a fantastic view of the track-action, but also of all the other groups that form the fans of other teams in their spots around the course. Last year Ducati filled the Correntaio corner and once again their red grandstand and banners will wave in this corner. The bird’s eye view for the casual fan sites looking down on the Arrabbiata section, Casanova, and the turns of Scarperia is available if you want to take in the action.
Mugello is a Moto Grand Prix race course made for the fans, with something for everyone, if you can’t be there taking in the action, then the next best thing is to check back here in a couple days for the race results.
Image: Zuma Press
