2024-01-31 17:44:01
Winter is possibly the only season of the year in which motorcycle fans can fulfill their dream of share the track with big MotoGP and WorldSBK stars. Our country is one of the preferred destinations for the majority of elite riders to continue training on motorcycles during the hardest time of the year, and it is not unusual to meet a well-known face during the months of January and February, when many of the riders Professionals intensify their training on the track with production motorcycles.
It is the case of Johann Zarco, a member of the MotoGP grid who is usually seen in free practice sessions during the summer break and also in the middle of winter. The LCR Honda driver took advantage of a few days of training at the Cartagena Circuit to continue getting to know his new machine, a Honda CBR 1000 RR-R Fireblade cwith which the Frenchman has replaced the Ducati Panigale V4 S that he has used in recent years.
Zarco took advantage of the always excellent weather in Cartagena to shoot for two days and shake off the cobwebs, Without a doubt a good warm-up for the Malaysia Shakedown which will begin tomorrow, Thursday, and will feature the presence of the Cannes driver thanks to the category D concessions of his new factory, Honda.
After riding in Jerez with CBO Track Days, Johann took advantage of the reservation of the Cartagena track by another organizer and there he met drivers of all levels and championships, including amateurs who combine their professional life with their passion for racingalways aware that on Monday it’s time to get up early to go to the office.
This is the case of Martin Tritscher, an Austrian pilot who works as an innovation consultant and who takes advantage of the little free time that his profession leaves him to travel around Europe and participate in championships such as the European Superstock 1000 or the AlpeAdria International Motorcycle Championship cup organized by the Italian company Dart Race.
Although Tritscher is a fast guy who knows how to drive his BMW S 1000 RR at a high pace, sharing the track with world championship drivers was for him a unique experience that is difficult to forget. In a post that Martin himself has shared on his social networks, this Austrian pilot says that “I had the opportunity to join a pro rider event in Spain. By entering the track with professionals from MotoGP, Moto2, WSBK, BSB… and other top-level categories, things can get a little intense“.
In that same post, Tritscher shares a video fragment in which Johann Zarco overtakes him cleanly at the start of a lap in Cartagena. The Austrian, unaccustomed to riding on this circuit, tried to chase the Frenchman and his Honda, but between Johann’s speed and the ax blow that another World Championship rider gave him shortly after, his hopes soon faded: “Johann Zarco overtook me and I tried to follow him to see how he drove and learn something from him. But I didn’t know that Zarco had Barry Baltus behind him, who had the same plan as me. As you can see, in top-level competition, they don’t hesitate if they want to overtake. Especially if it’s a pretty normal guy like me, who’s a little slower than them.”
Barry Baltus is a 19-year-old Belgian rider who has been in the World Championship for four years, the last two in Moto2 on a Kalex. In the video it can be seen that his overtaking of Tritscher is very close to the limit, and although the Austrian himself recognizes that “It was a pretty tough ride,” Accept this situation as something common when you get to ride with the best: “As long as he didn’t crash me, it was pretty good for me. These guys are really professional drivers, They don’t think about the financial aspect of a crash like us normal pilots“.
Despite the scare, Tritscher is clear that he would repeat this experience of riding with top drivers, and he asks his followers an interesting question: “I really enjoyed riding with such high-level drivers. To be honest, when I saw them flying so fast before starting my first session, I was really fucking nervous! If you are an amateur pilot, would you also have liked to participate in such an event, or would you not take the risk?”
Read also: This starts now: Schedules and Shakedown Preview MotoGP 2024
Below you can see the video:
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