Ciao Marco

Woke up this morning, hungover and still sleepy. While checking email, etc, I saw that a friend of mine tweeted “RIP Simoncelli.”

No way.

I was really hoping it was a mistake or misunderstanding, but it was not. Marco died after a freak accident at the Malaysian GP in Sepang. He was 24.
I sat around all morning, trying to make sense of it and, in the back of my mind, thinking about my upcoming races this weekend. I haven’t thought about not racing for a second, but it’d be incredibly arrogant of me to say that I won’t be thinking about it during setup and practice.

We all know the risks associated with racing (and even just riding) motorcycles, but, every now and again, we are dealt a horrible and tragic reminder of just how serious it is out there. I’m gutted for Marco’s family and friends, but I cannot imagine how Valentino and Colin must feel right now. Neither can be assigned any blame in the crash, but they both hit Marco.

I took the Ducati to meet some friends for brunch. It’s a short, short trip, but the sound of that big twin engine braking has never failed to make me feel better. We talked about the crash in passing, but they’re not bike people so they didn’t quite get it.

Early this morning, a 24 year old racer died in a racing incident. The rest of us woke up and got on with our day.

While riding home, I shifted into second a little harder than usual, and the 748’s front wheel climbed upwards. Instead of rolling off the throttle, I fed in a little more and carried it for about 100 feet. The 5-second sensation of flying, the Ducati’s soulstirring engine note, and the cloudless sky all came together in a perfect, wordless tribute to a brave life cut short.