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Friday, August 3, 2012

Monterey and MotoGP....Adventures with Sweet Pea

So, this is the second year that my wife and I have escaped for 4 days without the kids......

We attended the MotoGP event at Laguna Seca last year as an anniversary gift....for her it was getting away... for me it was high octane race fuel and draggin' knees... She had such a good time that we decided to do it again this year....and next year is already being planned.  It really is impressive to see riders pushing that hard and dragging knees and  and doing stoppies from 150mph entering a corner and then doing a wheelie launching out.  Ohhh and the noise...such a noise that I've never heard before...the exhaust notes from some sound like music while others literally feel like they are shredding your eardrum  (Its so awesome..television doesn't do it justice.)
Thursday found us driving from my parents house in CA..(that's California for My readers to the north) and we see this guy on Hwy 101
I  suppose that's one way tho carry a spare...
Everything here is shades of brown.

Driving though Salinas we saw a plastic bin factory on fire...that was pretty hot to see but snarled traffic worse than with just the race traffic.
We checked into the hotel and made our way to Cannery Row. (Yes, The Cannery Row made famous by John Steinbeck). Had some dinner from a second story Mexican restaurant and took in the sites before the weekends craziness took place.
Evening on the Peninsula

People watching while waiting for food.


I thought Troubadour was headed for Hells Canyon
 
Friday morning, we learned from last year that there was no reason to hurry to the track, so we slept in, ate some breakfast, and let the fog burn off..  Arriving at the track, they had opened up pit road to people with paddock passes,  which we had...  We got fairly close to the MotoGP garages.. Amazing, is all I can say. the way they lay it all out, break it all down and send it to the next venue, which could be halfway around the world.
Cal Crutchlow  Tech3 Yamaha
Ben Spies rides
Andrea Doviziso Tech3
Jorge Lorenzo's team working their magic
Nicky Hayden's Ducati
Looks like Rossi needs a Doctor
Front stretch and finish line
SweetPea and Polarbear





Then we made our way through the AMA Paddock and checked out all the racers there.
So, they're not Crocs...Can you name this stylish racer

Its Ben Bostrom!!  He is great on Cafe Racer.. Pretty good on a GSXR 1000 too..
Ya know Ben.. If this racing thing doesn't work out
You should try male modelling.... Keep rocking it Ben!!

Josh Hayes..Bad Fast!!









 Something for my Canadian Friends....
 And all things animal
That Zebra doesn't stand a chance........















Troubadour.....        ..I found your scooter....

That's all from Friday.............   Saturday was qualifying, practice and the Supersport class race..
Went back to Cannery Row...They shut it down and only allowed two wheeled  parking...It was like bikenight, but 1/4 mile long.... but I will get to that another day....





9 comments:

  1. Nice photos. It's good to see motogp behind the scenes pics from other bloggers around the world. Motogp is great and i'll be going to the philip island round later this year.

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  2. I was wondering where the two of you were off to! Looks like you had fun and I am glad Sweet Pea enjoyed it too!

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  3. Awesome. I am glad you two had such a great time - and Happy Anniversary too.

    Love the pictures. I like how the tiger Scooter seems to be stalking the zebra scooter. Nicely organized.

    We'll miss you at coffee tomorrow - heading to Seattle in the cage to meet some friends, but we'll be there next Saturday.

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    1. Actually, we are still in California and won't be at coffee either. Are you going to the new museum in Seattle. Troubadour was talking about a ride up there a while back. I think the grand opening is this month. headed home this weekend and back to the grind on Monday

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  4. Great pictures! Tim Horton's they make great donuts, but I hate the coffee - I guess that makes me a bad Canuck. I would love to go there just to experience everything bike, but it may be awhile before it cn hapen. Happy anniversary. Nice to escape for a few days. Enjoy!

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  5. Looks like it was a great time. I have been to Monterey once and loved it. Visit Cannery Row also. Never been to the races, but hope to. Great photos.

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  6. From looking at your pictures i can bet that you had a great time. Motorcycle riding is such a great thing to do and the results can really be amazing. Mostly if you do it with the people you love. It is such a great way to spend time together. V Twin Bike Parts is my area of specialization when it comes to motorcycle parts and accessories.

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