CN
III IN THE PADDOCK
P112
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
W
hat is grand prix
motorcycle racing for?
The answer, actually
answers, differ widely depending
on who you ask.
For the riders, it's an ego-trip
and adrenaline fix, the former
acquired by expression of per-
sonal skill, the latter by the risks
involved in riding around on the
limit, in close company with a
bunch of dangerous maniacs.
For the fans, it represents
all sorts of vicarious pleasures:
including admiration of the skills,
enjoyment of the technical prow-
ess, and (let's face it) a certain
ghoulish desire to watch the
crashes.
For Dorna, it's all about build-
ing a business, turning a profit,
and increasing the capital value.
The balance sheet is far more
important than the championship
charts.
For me, it should also be an
instrument for advancement of
engineering; a proving ground
whereby racing can engender
mechanical ingenuity and ulti-
mately improve the breed. This
desire has been progressively
thwarted by the cost-cutting,
dumbing down imposed by
Dorna over the past decade.
And for Moto2 riders?
That's a tough one. Ever since
its inception I have watched the
replacement for those delight-
A GRAVEYARD OF TALENT
