Well the racing season has begun and kicked off with the MotoGP in Qatar at the weekend. Those who know me will recall that the last time I went to Brands Hatch in 2007 I fell asleep on the grass and missed the whole thing, such was my non-fascination with the sport lol!
This year I decided that I shall endeavour to keep up and pay attention so I can see what all the fuss is about. I dutifully sat down to watch the Qatar race – after the fifth lap I was distracted by the need to make a cup of tea…and then a jam tart got in the way…folllowed by a packet of crisps…and then I started washing dishes, and before I knew it I’d returned to find the race was in the 21st lap! Fortunately both the BBC and the sports channels were re-running the race repeatedly so I was able to settle down and watch it again – and this time I made the tea before the race started 🙂
Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo did make for interesting viewing – I found myself holding my breath a coupla times when they fought to overtake each other. I also winced here and there when the odd rider fell off!
But overall I have to admit I was not glued to my seat with fascination which seems a shame as the commentators sounded so excited about the whole thing 😦
Why is this I wonder? Throughout the interviews I found myself looking at the baby faces of the riders, trying to tot up the significant sponsorship labels, interested to see who was wearing what manufacturer’s helmet, wondering which set of leathers would stand up to a significant tumble – and found my eyes kept flicking with distaste to the red boot/glove V white boot/glove that was Jorge Lorenzo (what a style-muppet!)
This was followed by wondering about the lighting bill for the track, speculating on the temperatures in Qatar at this time of year, and finally what kind of holiday I might enjoy there. In other words the finer arts of motorbike racing were clearly passing me by 🙂
So what happened to the girls? It did dawn on me that one doesn’t seem to hear about girls in top performing races. A quick poll of friends (ok a question on Facebook!) and the answers came flooding in from lack of true grit and physical strength, to the right mindset, finance, and of course that particular jewel – PMT was flaunted!
BUT I did get to hear about Jenny Tinmouth whom Splitlath Motorsport has signed as the first ever female British Superbike Racer. She will contest the 2011 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship. According to their press release she became the first female to ever win a British Supersport Cup race on her way to finishing an impressive third in the championship, set a new record of 119.945mph for the fastest lap by a female competitor at the famous Isle of Man TT event and won the final round of the Hottrax British Endurance Championship at Cadwell Park.
Pictured here, courtesy of her website, www.jennytinmouth.com Jenny is a motor mechanic who has worked hard to take her racing to new levels. Quite frankly I am in awe of her skills and her achievements and her ability to bounce back from accidents and broken bones. My admiration may have something to do with her, as a woman, forging her way in what has traditionally been a man’s world. Ok – whilst she may not be comparable to our beloved Amelia Earhart or Madame CJ Walker, she is certainly flying the flag and doing it well 🙂
In the interests of fair play I am going to watch the racing – assuming it’s televised and I remember to do so. I’d like to see if I have the same reaction or if my interest is ratcheted up because of her achievements.
And just to show that Jenny is far from being more bloke than girl, here’s a shot* that does her proud and shows she’s a girl with style. (She’s the one on the right!)
So why do people race anyway? I asked racer Danny Imberg (he’s the one on the left! 🙂 ) and he had several reasons – all of them very manly such as “Competition”.
Danny tells me that racing is in the blood and he takes after his old man. He also says: “The danger is equal to the thrill, and when you are out there it is just you – it’s not a pure team sport like football.”
Well when he puts it like that I can see the attraction – sometimes feeling successful at something is not about beating others, but about stretching your personal limits. Danny has done BSB support races, superteens and more, and is currently in the Hottrax Motorsport Michelin Power Cup. His beloved mechanic Loz says this suits them to a T because it’s the highest level of club racing, they win races, have a great social life and always come away smiling – and all for a relatively low amount of money. Sounds good to me! We wish him well 🙂
Well whatever floats your boat the season is well and truly here and superbikes kicks off this weekend….so game on!
(*All pics and info about Jenny comes from her website.)
By the way, don’t forget that you can still vote in the poll, How bling can you go, and share just how devoted you are to blinging your bike.
A bird's eye view to biking! 