MotoGP™ is nothing if not fast. The motorcycle racing World Championship was quick to jump at the chance to break in the new Circuits of the Americas track, making it the second Grand Prix of the 2013 season.
The Events
The Red Bull Grand Prix of Americas will be a three-day weekend filled with super charged motorcycle races like never before seen in the Austin area. Spectators can watch as riders push it to the limit during the practice and qualification rounds on April 19th and 20th, fighting for a spot in the main event. It all builds up to the third and final day on the 21st – race day.
During the Grand Prix weekend all three categories of MotoGP™ races will light up the circuit:
MotoGP™
The marquee class, MotoGP™, features the bravest and ballsiest motorcycle riders from around the world on 4-stroke bikes with maximum engine displacement of 1000cc.
Moto2™
Honda supplies the 600cc 4-stroke engines of the Moto2 class motorcycles that are capable of pumping out an impressive 140 horsepower.
Moto3™
The Moto3 is the newest class to take to the track. As engines become more powerful the Grand Prix has adapted, and in 2012 the 125cc GP class became the Moto3 – a race series with supped up 4-stroke, 250cc motorcycles.
The Racetrack
The Circuits of the Americas’ 3.426 miles of hairpin turns, elevation changes and fast straightaways will pose many challenges, even for the skilled MotoGP™ riders. The track is the first in the U.S. designed specifically for Grand Prix events. Sitting on 1000 acres, the facility is capable of holding up to 120,000 spectators and a lot of entertainment, including pit area events during the Grand Prix weekend.
The Motorcycles
You won’t see the MotoGP™ bikes out on the road or even in showrooms. These bikes are built by Grand Prix teams strictly for the MotoGP™ races. All teams, including major manufacturers like Honda and Ducati, must adhere to technical rules and regulations that cover everything from the weight of the bike to the number of engines that can be used in a season.
The Riders
MotoGP™ riders come from every corner of the world: Europe, Australia, Asia, South America and the United States. Most riders begin at the 125cc class (now the Moto3™ class) and work their way up to the MotoGP™ level. For some the rise to the premier class is a quick one, take for instance Marc Marquez who at just 20 years old is the youngest rider of the 2013 MotoGP™ season. Impressive, considering there’s a minimum age of 16 for Moto2™ and Moto3™. And competing in this year’s Moto3™ there will be a number of just-turned 16-year-olds that can’t even legally drive a car in their home country, including the only female rider Ana Carrasco.
Last year Spanish natives Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa, along with Australian Casey Stoner, dominated the MotoGP™ top podium spot. Lorenzo ended up being the MotoGP™ champion, but Pedrosa was right on his heels and will be looking for wins right out of the gate.
And if you need a ride to this event give us a call and our Austin limo transportation team will be there as fast as the Moto2™!
Original Source: https://www.royalaustin.com/formula-1/2013-motogp-takes-over-the-circuits-of-the-americas-race-track