
I grew up watching Irish road racing where I could walk around the paddock (read “field”) and ask superstars like Michael Dunlop for their autographs. And I’ve seen the pinnacle riders of my generation race the most advanced two-wheeled machinery in the form of MotoGP bikes at COTA.
Those racing series have their places. But my weekend at MotoAmerica gave me a more immersive experience than I thought possible for anyone who wasn’t a motorcycle racer. And the event instilled emotions in me that I would never have expected to feel throughout a race weekend.