Image via Complex Original
Moto GP is the world championship of road racing for motorcycles. Starting in 1949, Grand Prix racing has had many evolutions and incarnations: from the early days when the extremely dangerous Isle of Mann TT was on the circuit, to the 1970s American invasion of rear tire sliding headed by California rider Kenny Roberts, to the modern 4-stroke era of today. The sport which once only raced in Europe, now has Grand Prixs all over the globe with millions of worldwide fans, yet it is still relatively obscure to the general U.S. public. With three U.S. Grand Prix races on the 2013 calendar, this is sure to change.
The Moto GP regular season kicks off April 7th under the lights at the Losail Circuit in Qatar (the circuit’s only night race). As of now, U.S. viewers will be left in the dark, because Dorna, the company that owns Moto GP has not reached a contract with any U.S. television stations. Nevertheless, no television coverage could ever surpass the access one gets from MotoGP.com's video pass, all-access option online. You get commentary, you get paddock girls, and you get special indicators. Let us further explain with these 10 Reasons to Subscribe to MotoGP.com.
10. Rossi
Valentino Rossi is the Michael Jordan of Moto GP. He is the most well-known rider in the world and the second-most winningest rider ever. Second to the great Giacomo Agostini, the spunky 34-year-old who dominated the sport in the 2000s on Honda and then Yamaha, winning seven championship titles. Rossi has now returned to the 2013 and 2014 seasons on Yamaha. On a competitive bike and with all his personal and fan acceptations, he is sure not to disappoint.
9. Classics
There is an online library of full races, ranging from the past two decades of Moto GP with the video pass. At any moment, one can be transported to an era of 2-strokes and tobacco sponsors. Instantly, you can watch Wayne Rainey on his Marlboro bike sneak by Kevin Schwantz on his Lucky Strike bike at Suzuka in 1993. Or the days of Australian Mick Doohan dominance on his Honda NSR500 two stroke (94-98.)
8. Paddock Girls
Let's face it, there just isn't enough of the paddock girls (the cheerleaders of Moto racing) on TV. The paddock girls, also known as the umbrella girls, have a very demanding role in the sport. Their complicated job of walking around in heels and skimpy attire, while holding an umbrella for racers, is almost a sport in itself. With the video pass, there is plenty of coverage of the girls' un-coverage.
7. Theme song
Ah, the Moto GP intro theme. Part A-Team, part Eye of the Tiger, this catchy tune signifies the epic battles you are about to watch. Sure, it's a little corny and over the top, but after a few races, it will become your dinner bell to a moto feast.
6. On Board
The on-board views of the riders and their machines that were once a rarity are now standard. There are 90 on-board cameras that Dorna helped developed. Included are the gyroscopic cameras which "lean with the rider" providing a more real depiction of what the rider is seeing. The cameras keep the horizon level and offers insight to the races that is very intimate.
5. Indicators
Once you get the video pass, you'll notice the color indicators on the bottom of each race. They are red (crash), orange (close call and/or awesome move), and green (start). If you're in it just for the crashes, this will save you a lot of time rather than fast forwarding on your cable clicker.
4. No-spoiler feature
Too bad this feature isn't on Twitter or Instagram. If you watch races after the fact, you can make sure you are seeing it for the first time. The "no-spoiler" page lists all the races, practices and qualifying sessions without photos and/or news, allowing the viewer to blindly watch as if it were live.
3. No commercials
This means you can watch the whole race from start to finish. You can even pause to answer the phone, grab some snacks or do you business. You might think, "oh, I can do that with my DVR," but can you get footage of the race that the TV doesn't show while they go to commercial? No. And even if the station shows highlights of what you missed while you were watching random car insurance ads, it still isn't continuous.
2. Practice and Qualifying
In past years there were three practices and one qualifying session for each class to determine the grid for the race. This year MotoGP is using a new format with two qualifying sessions. Times set in practice will dictate whether the rider will be in the faster qualifying session, aka Q1, or second slower Q2 of each class. The once 60-minute session will now be 80 minutes, leaving an awkward time for TV programming. With the video pass, all practices and qualifying are online without editing.
1. The Commentary
Even if don't know what Moto GP is, the cheeky chit-chat of commentators who have the Queen's tongue will keep you well informed. The jovial quick wit and random English idioms of Nick Harris and Gavin Emmet has installed a lineage and set the formula to provide adequate entertainment. Think Monty Python with motorbikes. There are also three other languages of commentary, so if you are in the mood for lots of yelling, try Italia.