#and enea.... and really pecco too....

[ilikecarsandsupport4artists]

Really really hope the Sepang rumors aren't true cause seriously, all of the MotoGP tracks that get "modified" to fit F1 standards get super dangerous to ride on. We've already seen an increase in dangerous crashes last season, and I really don't want to see yet another classic circuit get made too dangerous.

Yeah, it is a great circuit. It is a historical circuit. But it'll either have to be a 100% F1 track or 100% MotoGP track if we want to keep it safe. Every time they try to get the tracks "more suitable for cars" we get gravel pits that injure riders and speedbumps that aren't safe to ride over.

It cannot be another "combined" circuit. Either it gets handed over 100% or not. I just don't want to have another crash like what we've had in 2023.

We already had an accident and the season hasn't even started.

[jam-packed]

i have spent nearly $700 in the past week bc i keep going on ebay and buying model bikes and trading cards from 2003

[lagunaseca2013]

❄️ or 🌪️ for the ask game!

hiiii arrow! thanks for playing :)) here’s an excerpt from choke yourself out, my reconciliation white whale that i write approximately one sentence of every six weeks lol

—

Valentino is wrestling with the espresso machine in his boxers, his gray-streaked curls flattened on one side of his head from when he’d pulled out of Marc that morning, soft and overstimulated, and unceremoniously collapsed right back to sleep. He’d startled awake an hour later, a little sweaty, and dragged Marc into the kitchen to conquer la bestia. La bestia was shiny and chrome, and had mysteriously appeared in the kitchen four days into the two weeks Marc had spent getting reacquainted with Valentino post-dramatic-Argentina-situation, and neither of them have successfully managed to operate it without Luca’s help.

It was entirely unclear to Marc if Vale knew that his pet espresso machine shared a nickname with Enea Bastianini and simply didn’t care, or was maybe making some sort of convoluted joke about Marc taking his seat a few years back. Between all the fucking, and the strange liminal space both of them had been trying to avoid leaving, he hadn’t really bothered to ask.

The beast was so ridiculous and complicated that Vale had sheepishly ended up calling his brother to teach him how to turn it on, Marc trying not to laugh too loud at the stupid faces Vale was making at him from across the island. Something about the tan slope of his shoulders as he hunched over the contraption, Luca’s annoyed instructions going mostly ignored in favor of pulling levers and pushing buttons, had Marc’s cock twitching with interest.

He glanced down at himself, trying very hard not to think about how he was wearing the same sleep shirt Vale had lent him the only night he’d ever spent at the ranch before. It’s tattier now, the paint cracking enough that CHE SPETTACOLO was only visible if one squinted and already knew what they were looking at.

Ten-some years later, Marc thumbs the uneven hem and locks eyes with Vale as he slowly inches it up. He can tell the exact moment Vale realizes that Marc is getting hard. His blue eyes narrowed into familiar slits, the gaze of a predator.

Marc swallows hard, his fingers still twisting the hem of the borrowed shirt, suddenly unsteady. Valentino is watching him, expectant, his hands braced against the counter like he’s ready to push off and cross the room at a moment’s notice. The espresso machine hisses as it finishes heating up, but neither of them pay it any attention. Then, from the phone still clutched loosely in Vale’s hand, a tiny voice pipes up in the background of Luca’s call. A little girl’s giggle, high and sweet, followed by Luca’s half-distracted, “Sí, sí, un attimo, bambina.”

Marc blinks. He hadn’t even known Luca had a kid. He hadn’t really thought Luca was the type, considering how much time Luca had spent inside of Pecco over the course of the past season, but—well. That’s none of Marc’s business, is it?

Vale stalks over, bullying his way between Marc’s thighs until he’s practically spread eagle on the counter, nipping at his jaw and then his earlobe, which makes Marc shiver and gasp. Then, his phone buzzes in his hand—Luca, still on the line. For half a second, he hesitates. Then, without breaking eye contact, he presses the button and hangs up. Marc’s breath catches, something sharp and hot curling low in his stomach.

“You,” Vale says, with the same laser intent focus he gives his bike, his hands tightening against Marc’s jaw, “are trying to distract me.” Marc hums. “Is it working?” Vale’s eyes flicker down, taking in the way Marc has been inching up his stolen sleep shirt, showing off the smooth slope of his thighs, the telltale half-chub he’s not even pretending to hide. Vale’s thumb swipes across his jaw, a slow drag. “Barely,” he lies.

Then, he pulls away—just long enough to yank open the drawer by the stove, retrieve a blister pack, and dry-swallow the little blue pill inside. Marc snorts, “You could at least pretend to have some restraint.”

“I could,” Vale agrees, leaning in to kiss the corner of his mouth. "But where’s the fun in that?"

The espresso machine lets out a sudden, jarring beep. Vale glances over his shoulder, and then back to Marc, his head tilted expectantly. “Allora,” he says, tracing his thumb against Marc’s neck, applying slight pressure when his eyes flutter shut. “Maybe we try again tomorrow.”

[moonshynecybin]

rider moves and contract rumors, your ranking from most to least likely to happen (alternately, is simon patterson ever right)

thank you !!! truly contract season haunts my every waking thought there’s so many torrid little possibilities and it was supposed to be boring this year and instead it’s soap opera level bananas

jorge>honda

9/10. i think this one is gonna probably happen? like if it doesn’t then i think he skulks back to aprilia and is just kinda miserable with them for a year because they are a team with an abnormally high tolerance for diva behavior after tag teaming aleix and maverick for multiple seasons lol. and then jorge can pick a japanese team for 2027 so eventually it most likely happens anyways. but then with luca out i really do think the absence stars have aligned and it’s looking more and more likely as an option that is clean for both of them and makes sense. which wouldn’t make me mad really, except i don’t know where luca is going and that stresses me OUT !!!!! like if aprilia doesn’t want him i guess he’d be a brilliant test rider but :( lucaaaa… also i think it would be funny if they lost luca and suddenly realize that the bike is bad again

toprak>yamaha

8/10. guys i think lucy might actually let him kick the football lol… truly after all the recent reporting the only part where i was kinda on the fence about its validity was miguel oliveira having a two year contract on the books/jack miller being too good to be a sacrificial lamb generally (booo), but the race has some reporting from pramac that that second year for oliveira could be solidly in doubt, PLUS the pramac team boss confirmed they’ve talked to toprak… and all the previous rumors kinda came just from his own manager… which to me is much more indicative that the ball is in fact rolling down the hill. which is fun i wanna see him cope with our fuck ass tire situation let’s see if he can really play some ball. lots of ball metaphors in this section sorry but i love a juicy little unknown and i think having his loud mouthed manager in the paddock would be SO funny

pecco> yamaha

0/10 SO not happening any time soon it’s kinda funny that this has been circulated as a viable rumor in multiple journalism publications. like girl what. i mean not only is pecco on the record as saying that leaving contracts early divorce is something he deeply personally disapproves of, he’s ALSO invested a lot in this team specifically and has been a ducati fan since he was a baby little boy. and i think in generally he just doesn’t like the idea of “quitting” like if you gave pecco the option he’ll take noble suffering any day of the week… nail himself to that cross if he has to�� like i firmly believe that if pecco leaves ducati, it’s going to be a decision FROM ducati, and he’s TOO valuable for bike dev in this current market what with bamboozling front end saves georg marquez over on the other side of the garage even WITH with the problems he’s having. and he’s not even THAT bad he’s just flopping by his own extremely exacting standards. anyways pecco will stay would be my read

enea>aprilia vs luca>aprilia vs ogura >aprilia

unquantifiable. see now here’s where i stare at the screen and steeple my fingers and wonder and hem and haw and then make some decaf and smoke a cigarette… if i had my druthers i think a luca/jorge clean swap would be ideal and luca would fit right tf in at aprilia and we would have a bez/luca teammates era that would be super fun for me AND marco bezzecchi, as luca’s methodical ass nature develops that bike into something more consistently competitive and honda is off spackling over the walls that jmartin punched through when he realizes the honda has mad chatter problems. that would rule. pbut then enea also wants to leave ktm apparently and it’s complicated bc he has a two year deal but the current situation is REALLY not working and enea probably has a higher results ceiling than luca BUT also isn’t that great at bike dev so. genuinely no idea lmao. i would hope they give luca a shot for at least another year bc it’s the cleanest option and let ai ogura develop some more on a more low-stakes environment at trackhouse, who seem to LOVE him and also just really need some good results in their pocket lol. but GOD who knows what’ll happen for real like i certainly don’t

[strawbunni-shortcake]

Rating the grid based from most to least mpregable:

1. Marc - so fertile and not afraid of aborting that thing

2. Jorge M. - Aleix wants to knock him up sooooo bad and he has but Jorge has secretly aborted the baby bc he doesn't want to ruin his figure (#controversiallyyoungstepmomlife)

3. Enea - got pregnant by accident bc he forgot his birth control and didn't realize he was pregnant until it was too late, but would have kept it anyways

4. Fabio Q - he's already a single mom who works to jobs, who loves her kids (m1) and never stops. he's too focused on work but when he retires before the age of 30? Immediately getting pregnant.

5. Franky - not ready for a family yet but when he'll consider it after he retires.

6. Pecco - it's happened before when he was a teenager even though he's on birth control, now he takes a pregnancy test whenever he gets too anxious about it (frequently).

7. Alex Marquez - would have to try a couple times, but like a normal amount of trying.

8. Joan Mir - sometimes he thinks about it late at night....sometimes you meet the right person at the wrong time

9. Bez - dj cult orgy gone wrong

10. Maverick Viñales - milf hair cut

11. Raul Fernandez - he's too busy being Aprilia's most senior rider right now, but I've seen how much he loves his little brother. He definitely wants to have kids some day and doesn't care if he carries them or not.

12. Fabio Di Giantonio - more likely to be the one getting someone mpregnant than being the one mimpregnated.

13. Takaaki Nakagami - not interested he's a load bearing part of the communication between HRC engineers and riders. He's too busy for that. Would look amazing pregnant though.

14. Aleix - no one tops him anymore so he doesn't really have the opportunity to be mimpregnated, easier just to knock up one of his twinks

15. Brad Binder - too busy focusing on not losing his job to a baby (Pedro) to even Think about getting pregnant. Would need to do IVF anyways.

16. Augusto Fernandez - not enough employment stability to start a family atm

17. Miguel Olivera - *insert stepsister/wife joke here*

18. Jack Miller - infertile

19. Zarco - not interested in carrying a geriatric pregnancy

20. Alex Rins - he doesn't have the hips for it

21. Luca - saw his wife give birth and got his tubes tied immediately

22. Pedro - all the vaping he does has made his womb a toxic environment.

[coimbrabertone]

A Postmortem on the Competitive Era of MotoGP

Okay, that is a very dramatic title, and hopefully, a year from now I'll be able to look at this and say I was wrong, but...I think MotoGP's competitive era is over.

First let me explain what I mean by competitive era.

Grand Prix motorcycle racing, more so than other forms of motorsport, I think, is prone to eras of complete dominance. Agostini in the 60s and 70s, Doohan in the 90s, Rossi in the 2000s, and Marc Marquez in the 2010s. Marc Marquez's run of dominance, however, came to an abrupt end at the 2020 Spanish Grand Prix.

Here, Marquez crashed riding maniacally to make his way to the lead. Marc broke his right arm and started a multi-year struggle with injury that would impact his 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 seasons. This would also ultimately end Marc's relationship with Honda, as at the end of 2023, he decided to move to a Gresini Ducati.

In the meantime, MotoGP was wide open.

Joan Mir on a Suzuki won the 2020 championship on consistency over the Petronas Yamaha of Franco Morbidelli, with teammate Alex Rins in third.

Fabio Quartararo on a factory Yamaha won 2021 over the raw speed of Ducati's Pecco Bagnaia and Suzuki's Joan Mir.

Pecco Bagnaia got the upper hand over Fabio Quartararo in 2022, with additional challenges from the Gresini Ducati of Enea Bastianini and the Aprilia of Aleix Espargaro.

Bagnaia won again in 2023, but it was a new cast of characters around him. Instead of being pressured from outside, he was being pressured from within as the Pramac Ducati of Jorge Martin and the VR46 Ducati of Marco Bezzecchi challenged him for the championship.

2024, however, is when things started getting stale. Jorge Martin won the championship over Pecco Bagnaia - the same top two from last year, just in a different order - whilst Marc Marquez on the Gresini Ducati was third, and Enea Bastianini on the factory Ducati was in fourth.

Five years with four different champions.

Suzuki riders, Yamaha riders, factory Ducati riders, and satellite Ducati riders.

It was variety, it was amazing.

However...it was already getting stale this year.

Ducati has been the strongest for a few years now, I admit that even as someone who initially was in favor of Ducati dominance - my logic being that Honda and Yamaha have dominated MotoGP for so long that it was nice to see a European bike take a turn on top - and they've really mastered it this year.

KTM didn't win anything this year.

Aprilia only won two sprints and a single race.

The entire winning constructor column on Wikipedia is a sea of Italian flags without interruption.

And I fear it's only going to get worse for 2025, because Marc Marquez will be on a factory Ducati. After four years of being broken and one year of being on year old machinery, I fear that we may be seeing the Marquez revenge tour for the next few years.

Now, I'm sure for Marquez fans, they'll have a lot of fun.

But...I'm not a Marquez fan.

I'm a Ducati fan, I suppose, but even then, I'm more of a competition fan. The last few years I've found myself turning away from Ducati and becoming an Aprilia fan. The problem with Aprilia, however, is that Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales are good riders, sure, but they're not the kind of riders Aprilia needs to take the fight to the Bolognese.

So Aprilia has made a change for 2025.

Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi.

I think this is a good change. I don't like Martin, his personality rubs me the wrong way and I've spent the last two years rooting against him, but hey, it's Aprilia nabbing the reigning champion, so I understand why they'd want that.

Marco Bezzecchi I'm more excited about. I like him more as a rider, and while I expect Martin to be faster, I hope Marco gets some success too, because then I could at least enjoy some of Aprilia's successes.

Assuming, of course, that Marquez doesn't go and win everything next year.

Will KTM be able to provide any resistance? Maybe. Pedro Acosta is impressive, and Brad Binder has put on some performances at the end of this year to finish ahead of Acosta in the standings, but neither of them have finished any higher than second, so...what they can do depends on where the 2025 KTM is.

The same goes for the new Tech3 KTM lineup of Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini, two riders I like - I was glad to see Vinales succeed at the USGP, while Enea has been the rider I've rooted for in MotoGP ever since I became an active fan - they're both moody riders. On their day, they're invincible, problem is that their day doesn't come around nearly often enough to mark a consistent challenge.

And to add insult to injury, Pierer Mobility Group is suffering poor sales globally.

This is why Tech3 is going to be a KTM team instead of a GasGas team, because Pierer is refocusing their marketing on their core brand to try and regain stock value.

So...maybe they can challenge, but I'm not particularly optimistic.

Yamaha? They're gonna need a hell of a lot more speed if they want to challenge.

Honda? Look, yesterday at the Solidarity GP, Joan Mir crashed on the Honda and Neil Hodgson went "oh it's Mir time" so...the less said about Honda right now, the better.

Especially with Repsol gone.

How about the rest of Ducati?

Well, Bagnaia still won eleven races this year, so he's certainly still a force, but is he capable of beating Marc Marquez on equal machinery? I hope so, but given that Bagnaia just got beat by Jorge Martin on equal machinery, I'm not sure if I'm optimistic.

There is also only going to be one more factory-spec Ducati in 2024. Pramac has gone over to Yamaha, while Ducati has given a single GP25 to VR46, putting it in the hands of Fabio Di Giannantonio.

I think Digia will be good on the GP25 this year, and maybe he'll win a couple of races, but I expect him to finish somewhere between third and fifth. Third if no one else can challenge Ducati, fourth or fifth if the likes of Aprilia or KTM can start to pressure the Ducatis.

So overall, I think most races next year will finish with Marquez and Bagnaia in the top two slots, and everyone else fighting for third. The bright side for everyone else, I suppose, is that both Marc and Pecco can be crash prone, so maybe that's where all the other wins will come from.

Will that be good?

We'll see.

Was this competitive era good?

Yes.

Hearing about 2020 and 2021 and paying attention to the very end of the 2022 season is what made me want to become a MotoGP fan. I watched the entire 2023 season on janky streams, I was relieved as hell to see the 2024 season come onto Max so that I could watch MotoGP legally and safely - and share it with my racing friends - so for me, this competitive era has been great.

The entire reason I'm writing this blogpost is because I'm scared that MotoGP is turning for the worse just as I've become a fan.

So what era do I think is most comparable to this competitive era?

The early 2000s. Let's say 1999-2003 for instance.

1999, Mick Doohan gets injured and suddenly the best 500cc GP rider is out of the picture. Alex Crivillé on a Repsol Honda and Kenny Roberts Jr. on a Suzuki battled for the title, with occasional appearances by the other two Repsol Hondas of Tadayuki Odaka and Sete Gibernau, as well as Max Biaggi who was dragging that Marlboro Yamaha forward.

2000 continued the trends, with Kenny Roberts Jr. winning on the Suzuki, Valentino Rossi pressuring him on a Nastro Azzurro Honda run by Mick Doohan's former crew. Max Biaggi on the Marlboro Yamaha was third, with a huge variety of satellite riders involving themselves as well. The Emerson Hondas of Alex Barros and Loris Capirossi, the Red Bull and Antena3 Yamahas of Garry McCoy and Norifumi Abe, Carlos Checa on the other Marlboro Yamaha, and Alex Crivillé struggling on the overpowered - no literally, it had too much power - Repsol Honda, only taking one win in his title defense.

2001 was a turn towards dominance with Valentino Rossi on that Nastro Azzurro Honda, but we still saw wins from Max Biaggi on the Yamaha. We saw the Pons team - now West Honda - continue to pressure the front with Capirossi and Barros, and Sete Gibernau won a single race on the Suzuki. Interesting how that happened twice in a row. In 1999, Crivillé on the Repsol Honda won the title just to win a single race in 2000, while in 2000, Roberts on the Suzuki won just for Suzuki to only take a single win in 2001 with Sete Gibernau at Valencia.

2002 I think lines up with 2022. Valentino Rossi, now brought into Repsol Honda, wins the first 990cc title over Max Biaggi on the Marlboro Yamaha. Tohru Ukawa on the Repsol Honda and Alex Barros on that West Honda also challenge for wins on the same bike as the champion, playing that Enea Bastianini role.

2003 then, is the Honda show much like 2024 was the Ducati show. Valentino Rossi on the Repsol Honda, Sete Gibernau on the Telefonica Gresini Honda, and Max Biaggi, now on the Camel Honda - Pons with a new title sponsor - with Loris Capirossi at Catalunya playing that Maverick Vinales at COTA role as the sole win for a different manufacturer.

2004, however, marked the end of that era. Valentino Rossi went to Yamaha and still won the title in dominant fashion. Five Hondas in the top six but it was Rossi on top with nine wins on a bike that hadn't won since 2002. That shattered the idea that Valentino Rossi was simply the best of the Hondas, instead, he was the best in the world, perhaps the best ever.

And maybe on an optimistic note, in 2025, his protege, Pecco Bagnaia, will prove that he is more than just the Ducati champion. Perhaps Bagnaia will weather the storm of Marc Marquez as his teammate and win the championship anyway.

MotoGP seems to be in a bad way, with Ducati dominant, Bagnaia having been beat by Martin, and Marc Marquez coming into Ducati and threatening to dominate.

But in 2003, everyone swore up and down that the 990cc five-cylinder Honda was the best bike in the world, only for Rossi to go onto the Yamaha and win anyway.

Honda seemed invincible in 2003, but Yamaha beat them in 2004.

Marquez seems inevitable in 2024, but maybe someone can stop him in 2025.

Maybe Pecco, maybe Martin on the Aprilia, or maybe the Japanese will shock everyone and somehow bounce back.

It's unlikely, but...maybe there's still hope.

[issdisgrace]

MOTOGP RIDERS WITH A BULL RIDER S/O

WARNINGS: None

ENEA

Enea is extremely impressed by your career as a bull rider and thinks it’s really cool. He’ll ask a lot of questions and sometimes it can get annoying, but he just wants to know this stuff so he can better support you. Despite this, he’ll watch all of your events at the edge of his seat no matter what as he is very worried that you will get hurt as there isn’t a whole lot of protection when it comes to bull riding and there’s a high risk of injury.

PECCO

We all know Pecco is a wonderful partner. He’ll try to learn everything he can about bull riding. Will occasionally ask questions, but not too many. He’s more into hearing from you what an event was like rather than watching it himself, as he likes to hear the passion in your voice when you talk about it. Uses your merch as sleepwear regularly specially when he’s away at races as it’s nice to have a little part of you with him even if it’s just a shirt.

BEZ

Bez is definitely the type of person to be like ‘that’s my husband isn’t he the coolest’. Is honestly your biggest cheerleader. He will be the loudest person in the stands. Is at all your events that he can be and if he’s not able to attend, he will most definitely find a way to watch it as soon as he can. Your merch is a regular part of his wardrobe, also will make you sign some of his things. And tells you one day your signature might be worth big money.

MARC

Marc is absolutely and utterly in loves with you and what you do for work. He will slip in mentions of you in most interviews he does. He also will talk about you to his brother Alex so much that Alex will have to ban most discussions about you. Marc definitely tries to convince you that Red Bull is way better than Monster despite your Monster sponsorship and despite the fact that Ducati Lenovo Team has a Monster sponsorship and he has given up his personal Red Bull sponsorship out of respect for that. His heart will however lie forever with Red Bull.

VALENTINO

You guys are both icons of your own respective sport and are an absolute power couple. I feel like late nights are filled with talks about both of your guys’ careers. Valentino will show you off if you accompany him to any sort of event, whether it be personal or professional. He is very proud of you and your achievements as a bull rider. He will watch back your most iconic moments. Also, when you guys get married, he will buy you a whole ass ranch and Bull as a pet just because he can.

[cr4shdummy]

motogp as restaurant staff

management:

valentino: the kind of owner that likes to occasionally show up just to sit in his office in the back and pretend to do paperwork while gossiping with managers about hiring decisions

aleix: kitchen manager (used to work the grill)

dovi: used to be assistant/hiring manager but quit </3. still shows up to chat and have a beer sometimes and ppl are always trying to give him free stuff but he's too humble

dani: used to be front of house manager. had a secret tryst with lorenzo that the entire restaurant found out about and resulted in a slow motion mega-breakup and they both got fired

lorenzo: used to be kitchen manager (see above)

marc: neurotic lead server/front of house manager who is always stressed about something but customers love him. threatens to quit all the time

front of house:

pecco: the actual best server but is always getting shit bc vale (a "family friend" who is basically his father) got him the job

joan: server who disappears for 15-30 minute increments to go have mini breakdowns

fabio: server who shows up for opening shift & everyone saw him partying on instagram last night but he doesn't seem hungover so he keeps getting scheduled for it anyway even though it is secretly killing him

bezz: server who is super popular with costumers but forgets orders more than anyone

luca: host who can do no wrong

enea: host who is ALWAYS getting shit from the servers for overseating their section but he doesn't care

maverick: lead bartender who knows how to work basically every station in the kitchen

jack: second bartender/barback who really wants to learn grill but aleix won't promote him bc he knows jack and maverick used to have a thing when they were literal teenagers & he's obsessed with playing with his coworkers like dolls. he doesn't even rly want them to get back together he just wants to see how long this weird animosity will go on for

back of house:

taka: easily the best cook but is never scheduled for more than 2 or 3 days per week. no one has any idea what his main job is, but if he's this good at his side hustle, it's gotta be something insane

morb: cook (can work grill & saute interchangeably) who never shows up on time and never answers texts but basically can't be fired because he's one of the best cooks, always helps clean and never calls out

jorge: grill cook who everyone thinks might actually be dating aleix since they go for breaks together all the time but aleix for sure has a wife and children... everyone's gathered around the backdoor listening to them chat outside trying to deduce whether or not adultery is occurring

brad: actual best grill cook and Good Bloke

alex rins: salads & cold apps. bc he's vegetarian. always shows up early to chat with aleix and stays late to help clean up but no one ever hears from him on days he's not scheduled. always claims he's hanging out with aleix and jorge but cannot substantiate it

alex marquez: king of expo who is the only one sending orders out on time. if marc is running an order they will always whisper with each other... who knows what they're discussing

diggia: dishwasher extraordinaire who desperately wants to work literally any other station

oliveira: meal prep. runs the walk-in like he was born in it and has the best gossip about everyone

zarco: butcher (derogatory)

spanish rookies (raul, augusto, pedro): the busboy brigade and ALWAYS scurrying around and it's unclear whether they like each other or if they've turned bussing into some sort of competition

[formulapookie]

❛ i need you. please. i'll be quick. ❜ with beznaia :)

The scent of Bez can probably be perceived by the whole paddock with how strong it is.

It shouldn't tho, not with the scent suppressants he's taking, not when his heat is always on time and has to arrive two weeks from now.

And Bez knows, or at least, he gets it, with the way mechanics, fans or other riders stare at him while he walks.

Fuck fuck fuck it's early. He's sweating and it doesn't help his situation in the slightest.

He's hot, he needs this to fucking calm down or he won't be able to race.

The one time it happened out of schedule he was at the Ranch, and he didn't manage to train because it was so shocking he didn't come out the bed until one his boyfriend of the time had arrived and helped him out.

He broke up recently with his ex, he doesn't have anyone to help him and fuck no he's not asking a random mechanic for help with this.

"Shit why now it was supposed to come later come on"

He's in his motorhome, he needs help, he knows he does, but who can he ask to?

Not Diggia for sure, he's got that strange this with Enea going on, and he thinks he's seen a bite on the ducati rider recently.

A mechanic is out of discussion.

Vale? No absolutely not, he remembers all too well when he got in heat near him and Marc was there, that man had practically dragged Vale away and looked at him like a psycho for days.

Much too jealous.

Cele is racing currently, Mig is and Franky are busy with something and Luca is - he doesn't really wanna know where Luca and Alex are.

So. That leaves one guy only to his desperate need.

Pecco.

Which wouldn't even be a bad idea, it would be a great on even, but the problem is he's got a crush on him that's been lasting forever.

Can he control himself around Pecco when he's in heat? Maybe. Maybe not. But he's the only solution.

God knows how much strenght it takes to him to get up from the floor and sneak out, his scent must be going off the rails fuck's sake.

He uses a secondary exit from the garage and manages to sneak in Pecco's motorhome, he's hot, too hot, he needs Pecco. And he needs him ow.

"Pecco?"

Pecco is sat on the couch, head in his hands, breathing in and out.

"Bez you don't want to stay here" "Pecco please I need help" "Is there- no one in your garage?"

Pecco is trying so hard not to grab Bez by the shirt and rail him on the couch, he smells so sweet and inviting, it's almost sickening how good it is.

"No. The others are all busy, and after last time I'm not going with a mechanic"

Pecco looks up, it's a mistake, Bez is flushed and hot, and he's looking at him with a bit too much need.

"Bez I - this can - God this can end badly"

Bez's brain doesn't fuction well anymore, he needs to fuck, and Pecco is - well he's not a beta like Mig or Franky, and despite smelling less strongly than Vale he's an amazing alpha.

"Please" "Bez" "I need you. Please. I'll be quick" "Marco I don't think I'm the best option"

He doesn't know how he's still in control of himself, his best friend, and way too long time crush smells so good he could beat any of the other omegas out there.

He's had desperate omegas throwing themselves at him, he's even fucked a few of them, but Bez? Bez is another story, what if he gets too intoxicated by the scent an does something he regrets? What if he gets too rough?

Bez reduces the distance between them two, and sits beside a clearly scent-affected Pecco, who's practically trying to hold his breath in not to smell him.

"Come on Pecco don't you want to help a friend in need?" "Jesus Christ Marco you can't say things like that" "Why? Don't you want to be a good friend?"

The scent truly feels intoxicating, Bez is practically radiating lust, he's looking at Pecco with too much need and the other can only resist so much before giving up.

"Marco seriously, we both crashed in the sprint it's not a good situation, aren't Mig or Fr-" "Aren't you the Alpha, Pecco? Are you not good enough? You think you can't do enough?"

Then it's a mess. A rough kiss with too much hunger and too many teeth, but they both feel so taken by it they wonder how it never happened before.

"Fuck please"

Pecco has never been quicker in undressing someone, and gets rid of Bez's jeans in two split seconds, and just as quickly he's got a hand in his underwear, teasing and feeling just how wet Bez already is, but not acting on Bez's need.

"Fuck you're so wet Marco, you get like this every time? Might help you more often" "I ah yeah, now do something or I swear if you don't fuck me" "What will you do? Huh? You came begging to my door Marco, because no one out there can fuck you like you want me to do right?"

And - yeah that's true, for how harsh it can be it's the truth.

"Then you better prove you were worthy"

Sliding two fingers inside Bez's cunt may just be the most satisfying thing of Pecco's weekend, especially with the little whimpers he makes, and how his hands start to travel underneath his shirt trying to get it off.

"Desperate"

Bez moans, he needs Pecco to fuck him now or he might go mad, seriously, he needs to have him inside.

"Alpha"

Every single cell of Pecco's body is activated, a primordial need basically taking over his brain and ability to understand where they are.

He slides a third finger in, but judging by the amount of wetness in Bez's briefs it won't be a long wait before actually fucking him.

And it's not a lot of work in effect, Bez is practically drenching the boxers, and Pecco's fingers can only do so much, even with the intensity and speed he's putting in it.

When he takes off his own jeans his bulge is really noticeable, his scent is - Bez gets lightheaded from it, and the lust in his eyes makes the younger want to give him kids.

Bez climbs on his lap, his neck exposed just the right amount for a bite, but Pecco restrains himself.

When Bez gets both their boxers completely off he wastes no time in stroking Pecco's dick once or twice and then slowly sinking down on it, letting out the prettiest moans Pecco ever heard.

They kiss once again, less messy but equally as lustful, and Bez starts riding him slowly, moaning in the kiss.

“Don’t tease Bez, you wanted it so bad then fucking earn it”

“Oh the champion can’t handle a bit of teasing? How sad, and I thought you were the best out here”

“Shut up”

“Truth’s harsh Pecco?”

“If you don’t shut up i’ll make sure you can’t even get on the bike tomorrow because of how sore you’ll be”

And it does something to Bez, shakes him inside, makes him want to see how far Pecco can actually go.

He’s on birth control anyway, even if - even if Pecco came inside him, he’d be safe.

And God does he want it.

“Bez you smell so good”

Pecco buries his face into the crook of Bez’s neck, inhaling the scent and fucking yo his brain more than it already was.

He moves so he can lay Bez down on the couch, and starts thrusting with a rapid pace, little ah ahs being the only words Bez can get out his system.

He’s fucked omegas before, more than once, but fuck, they were never like Bez.

So open, ready to give themselves up like he is doing, soft and burning hot beneath his hands, so submissive to his every touch or whisper. And they weren’t so fucking wet.

“Pecco please fuck more”

He picks up the pace and kisses his friend again, tongues twisting inside each others mouths in a tango of many unsaid things.

“Fuck. Bez fuck I want to mate you”

He stills, fuck he said it. Shit shit shit it wasn’t supposed to happen he should’ve kept himself in check.

That’s fucking why he didn’t want Bez to spend his heat with him. The risks were too high, he’s too uncaring when he’s having sex.

“Please say it again”

There’s a moment of utter shock in Pecco’s eyes, he’s not sure he’s heard correctly.

“Pecco please say that again”

He gulps, he’s still buried deep inside Bez, his mouth is so dangerously close to the neck. All too much but all so right at the same time.

“I want to mate you”

“Fuck!”

It’s like a shock wire touched his skin, the way Bez clenches around him and grabs his biceps to hold himself from flying away.

“Please do. Pecco please I beg of you please mate me. I need it to be you I - I need it since were fucking 17 and you had your first big rut and I just wanted you to have me”

He’s frozen, he wants to but what if things go bad? What if it goes like Marc and Vale? He can’t leave Bez like that.

“Get out of your head Pecco I hear your thoughts. You want it? Do it. Get your mark on me and fuck me with it on my neck”

“Bez you need to be sure, we’re- it’s not a simple situation and this is serious”

“I told you Pecco, been sure since we were 17, you smelled so good even back then, always thought you smelled better than the others, better than Vale even”

It’s a fire that ignites inside of Pecco’s stomach, travels to his dick, to his brain, crackling like fresh wood burning in the open.

Bez gets closer to his ear, gets one of his hands on his back, and digs his nails in a bit.

“Mate me. Alpha please”

And God it’s pathetic but it’s all he wants right now, he wants Pecco to claim him and ruin him for any other guy who may think they’ve got a chance with him, wants that asshole of a Pramac rider to never look at Pecco like that again, understand he’s ever gonna be his, not like Bez is.

It’s a whole three seconds of internal debate for Pecco before he gets his mouth on Nez’s neck and opens it, the. lowers himself and bites.

The hand on his back digs more inside, the broken whimper coming from Marco is basically a melody, he wants to hear it again.

“You’re so sweet, smell and taste all so fucking sweet amore”

He leaves other kisses and bites all over his collarbone, moans getting louder and louder form both parts.

He picks the pace up again immediately, thrusting into Bez with force, holding him down by the hips and just going.

“You’re big fuck Pecco, so big and so good, I need you to fill me up, need to feel you everywhere”

“Mh you like it? Yeah fuck I’ll fill you up so much, fucking get you pregnant. I want to breed you so bad”

Bez lets out a louder moan, it’s almost a cry, he wants it too.

Pecco hasn’t stopped thrusting inside him, actually he picked up the pace once more, it’d be uncomfortable if any of the two could properly think.

“Mine. Mine mine mine you’re mine Marco, I will mark you everywhere on the neck so no one comes close thinking they can have you. Do you have any idea how many guys there want to have you as their omega? Mh? You just go around smelling so good, everyone wants a piece”

“Then make me smell like you. I want your scent on me for days Pecco, you’re mine too, I don’t ever want to see Martin looking at you again, he can’t, and also - fuck also your friend he better take his fucking eyes off you”

Pecco grunts, he’s close, but Bez’s is closer, he’s on edge, so close anything can tip him off.

Another bite coming from Pecco is what does it, makes him come and shudder, a long dragged whine to accompany it.

He clenches around Pecco, who can deem himself strong as much as he wants, but when Bez clenches like that, so wet and hot and his, it’s not something he can resist.

He comes deep inside, still thrusting, as Bez lets go of his back, just helpless little moans in the background mixing with the loud sound of bikes and machines in the garage.

They kiss again, their scents mixing, the motorhome must smell like sex and them, like love.

“Mine”

Pecco says it again before collapsing on top of Bez, he was an exhausting omega to take care of, and to think it’s only the first day of heat.

“Pecco shower, shower then we have to go to the hotel”

“No. We stay here they won’t notice”

“Yes they will, you’re the Champion amore forgot it?

“I want to stay here with you”

“Yeah I know I know but we need to go”

They shower, make out in the meanwhile, Bez still tastes so sweet it’s incredible.

When they get out Bez actually looks at the mark.

It’s beautiful, perfect.

“What’s going on?”

“You had to do it so high? Pecco this is not gonna be hidden by shirts”

Pecco smiles, leaving a kiss on the back of his neck, then running his fingers over the fresh mark.

“Yeah it was my intention”

“Oh fucking possessive bastard”

“Mig stares, too much. And Franky does too, when you went in heat last time and your stupid ex wasn’t there he immediately offered to help you. Also Cele, he stares at you every chance he gets he looks at you, now they’ll know you’re mine”

They get dressed rapidly, luckliky Pecco’s clothes fit him, and he can get out the garage without seeming like too much.

Of course the day after all the journalists will ask about his new bite, and he’ll smile and just say that he’s been mated, not by who.

But he hopes he’ll still smell like Pecco so they’ll know anyway.

That he is his.

[42bakery]

Taking a page from my own book (hey the questions where fun and I can't really write something with Sci-Fi when I'm not so into it), so...

On a space ship, which role would the riders have?

For this, I need you to imagine a cruise ship but on the space, because that's what I have in mind right now.

Dani Pedrosa is the lead engineer, but not the one who is always closesd on their office. He's always hands down working with the rest of the crew. Unofficially part of the translation team.

Jorge Lorenzo, Valentino Rossi and Marc Márquez are the welcome wagoon. Marc usually does the damage control when things go south and Vale is the one who charms them. Jorge is there and usually plays mediator than anything. He's also the bad beach of the group.

Luca is also part of the engineer team. He's the go to for emergencies and available 24/7/365. He's always doing something or another. Bosses love him.

Fabio Q. is part of the relationship and PR team. He's also unofficially part of the translation team. Speaking of the PR and relationship department, Pecco is also there. And because they both screw it from time to time, Joan is the head of the PR department. He's unofficially the best prankster in the ship, but no one believes it's him who did it.

And to close the PR and relationship team, the ones who don't need supervision, Ai, Fermín and Pol. One is the personification of PR perfect, the other has the skills to charm, and the other is just the perfect mix. Joan trust them a lot.

Miguel is the official translator, but he's too done and just 1 person to run the whole show. He might or might not want David Alonso on his team.

Aleix and Rins are the gurus fitness and health expert of the crew. Aleix is more hard core, and physical side while Rins is more on the mental and spiritual side. Rins might or might not also be part of the entertainment part of the ship.

So we need someone who is in charge of the food and drinks. i thinks Mack and Brad will be the perfect ones. mack is on the health station, while Brad runs the meat one. Jack is there as bar tender, the one in charge of the drinks mostly.

I think Raúl and Enea could be in charge of the kids section. I can see Enea as a lifeguard, while Raúl is mostly inside doing crafts and buildings. Le's include Álex M. having a show too with costumes. I mean he owns a minion costume already and does silly things, so it's not a stretch.

Now I can see this crew ship having a mall, we can dream, and the one in charge of running the whole operation? Pirro and Augusto. I don't know Michelle just trust him with the business side of this. Augusto can help there.

And in the stores? The fashion section is all run by Andrea and Taka. They might or might not help with a dress-up and face painting activities too. Fabio can be there too wit a little store with his own designs

Now for the entretaiment? I think Zarco is in charge of the music. We already said both Álex has a spectacle, one for adults (Rins) and one for kids (Márquez). and we have the drinks too with Miller. Pedro has a monologue spectacle, where he talks about mundane things. it's a hit

We also ca include an outside music spectacle run by DJ Bezz and DJ Martín. They do not share days. It's forbidden.

Somkiat and Savadori are in the custom service, reception of the passangers etc. They have to still get a Karen to formally complain about the space cruise ship or the service they got in there

Does this fit the idea of the Sci-Fi badge? Dunno, but I had fun imagining a cruise ship in the space filled with MotoGP riders as workers.

Also this is what I meant when I said be silly gooses and don't overthink the questions, but whatever you like

[watercolor-hearts]

Since seeing the video where Enea shows his plush elephant I've been thinking about writing an age regression little Enea and little Pecco playdate/sleepover story but I need some help with Enea's caregiver because I'm not really aware of any Enea pairings besides Enea/Pecco (but that wouldn't work here for multiple reasons). So the question is: Who would be an ideal caregiver for Enea? (It could be a friend, too, they don't have to be in a romantic relationship.)

[verdemint]

sooooo this is the translation for the icon interview with Pecco and a bit of Enea + (my little notes) (for @vr46ridersacademyofficial and whoever wants to read about pecco being a neurotic bestie and a "true rock" nerd)

Genius and moderation: Francesco Bagnaia’s winning qualities. He’s the champion who says about himself that he’s shy (and that already sounds like an oxymoron); then you see him race, and you ask yourself if he hadn't been just joking…

To win a MotoGP world championship, the highest class of motorcycle racing, you need a lot of talent, to win two of them, and one after the other even, you need to be extraordinary.

The third centaur who was able to do something like that is Francesco Pecco Bagnia (don't pretend you don't know who I'm talking about!). The third after Valentino Rossi, his idol and mentor, and Marc Marquez, his next year teammate in Ducati. And, because the hunger comes while eating (lol that's prob just an Italian idiom and it means that when you start to eat you start to get more hungry too, so winning is making him more hungry for more victories), Pecco is trying to do the same this year with the new Desmosedici GP24.

“Motivation is not something I’ll ever be lacking” says Pecco wearing the new glasses carrera Ducati (lol)

When I asked him to draw an imaginary identikit about himself to start our interview he replied: “I’m shy, very determined and an hard worker”. You can feel all of his Savoy (i guess coz he’s from the Savoy region but idk its more of a stereotype for people in the north of italy, being serious and quiet) essence - a mix of being a very private person, and also respectful and polite - that’s his own signature “ethics/moral code" and style. “It’s difficult for me to clash or argue with someone. If I’m angry or annoyed or nervous I keep that inside of me.” That's true in the paddock and outside.

Who better than him is the opposite of the cliche “to be a pilot you must be crazy”?

“Being lucid is the most important thing in this type of sport. The instinct can make you go fast, and maybe there’s a bit of madness, but during the race, everything you do has to be calculated, and every decision is considered and thoroughly thought through. Nothing is left to chance. And seeing red on track/not being lucid is what makes you do mistakes.”

Most people would think you have to live a life full of sacrifices to become a champion, but Francesco lives that life differently. “Everything I’ve ever done, I’ve done it cause I wanted to, I’ve never missed out on anything, not really. I’ve chosen to go train on track instead of going out with my friends most of the time, but it’s because I truly believe you’ll always have time to do all the other things you want to do.”

Respected by everyone in the paddock, Pecco is also praised by Enea Bastianini, his colleague and teammate, also born in 1997 but nearly 12 months after Francesco. 

“He has the type of determination and awareness that when he decides to do something he’ll go and get it. On a more technical side, his braking is super effective with the types of tyres we’re using.”

Their relationship is really good and Pecco says “Enea is one of my many rivals. The only ally I have on track is myself: I motivate and help myself”- he displays a strong sense of duty and responsibility- “cause I’m also the most self-critical person in the world.”

And maybe it is this moderation (I guess she’s talking about the self-criticism bit) that becomes a strength for the natural-born rider Pecco.

Francesco Bagnaia is cast in the same mold as another Italian sports prodigy ( shes trying to say the have similar vibes lol) Jannik Sinner, and not coincidentally Pecco is also a big fan of Jannik (he also carries Juventus in his heart, and he received a personalized jersey in December from the club).

“(Sinner) appears as a very “clean” person, it makes you want to support him. I’ve always loved tennis and thanks to him I’ve become an even bigger fan. I play tennis especially during the winter, I take classes three times a week”

Francesco always brings the same things to all of his races and most between the all: “Socks just under the calf, however it has nothing to do with superstition” and also music.

“I listen to music as soon as I wake up. I love old rock, the true rock. Favourite rock group? Led Zeppelin, of course, and I also really like Greta van Fleet.”

Around the circuits, his sister Carola, assistant and media manager, follows him like a shadow.

“I would like Domizia with me at races more often, her presence is a necessity for me.” Pecco and Domiziaa are gonna be married in a handful of hours (July 20) after seven years of engagement: “Organizing the wedding was easy: there is no comparison with the World Championship. Maybe Domizia thinks differently about it.”

What does Francesco Bagnaia see in his future? “A successful career and a large family. And still riding a prototype bike: if not until I’m 37, the goal is at least 35.”

[myanmardoesnotexist]

Presenting: Showing My Hater Sister MotoGP and F1 Drivers

Trigger warning: she is kind to no one and mean as hell. If you are offended by anything she says, she very simply doesn’t care. (Also she is mostly doing a bit)

Additions:

Talked about how much Luca looked like her husbands friend, said Valentino looks like Chase from Zoey101 and that he would sell feet picks, said that Charles Leclerc looks like ai in a bad way, called Enea the least freaky looking one and really hated Marc’s vibes.

Also was baffled when i told here all of their actual jobs. I also sent her Pecco but she was too mean to post with him.

Btw she does this for everyone. You could show her the best looking man on earth and she would simply call him a zero and say somthing cutting. So in reality a -2 is like a 9 and a -21 is like 4. Oh, and Charles she rated a 0, which to her is a 10. She must have found him very good looking

[moonshynecybin]

rank who in the grid is most probable to less to take plane anxiety meds. or something. idk. hi callie.

hi flamesssss how are youuuu…. waiting to board now heres my QUICK thoughts

jorge m: acts like turbulence doesn’t bother him but GRIPPPPPSSS the armrest when they hit a bump and screams a little. a baby yelp. alternately he’s like. fucking in the bathroom and there’s lines on the table truly i trulyyyy could see either but there has to be an element of performative machismo that bleeds into him ultimately a sensitive emotional creature etc etc you’ve seen it. tried xanax once and got sleepy so he never did it again

pecco: god no but in my mind he SHOULD. white knuckles hot and sexy through it bc of his #mental #fortitude #mindset but the thing pecco does not realize is that not all mental trials are educational experiences sometimes they just suckkkkk… xanax free by choice. hashtag goxanaxfree

fabio: practically lives on a private jet he’s the dua lipa of the motogp paddock where you’re like. squinting at his instagram like you’re on ANOTHERRR vacation?? and he is! he always is ! so for plane anxiety like truly the thought does not enter his mind. enea also doesn’t think about it but i think that’s more his general disposition lmao. NO sedatives for either

marc: we’ve done scholarship on this and thinking about his baby oceanfear…. like MOST marc fears are because he has a lack of direct control over his circumstances #controlfreak and this would lowkey fit that but also. idk maybe a little when he was younger but not really now at all i would wager. he’s been jettsetting since he was 15 i think it got ironed out if it was ever there. that being said i do think marc could benefit from a xanax scrip generally

luca: not really and DEF not on meds but a little bit. knows too much about plane crashes imo. like the thought is there but he thinks he can handle it with information so he just digs himself deeper in research holes. no xannies

bez: YES lmao

[dellovestorant]

Who's winning the riders' championship (according to the riders)

Fabio: Marc because realistically Yamaha still sucks compared to Ducati

Pecco: Meeeeeeeeeee

Enea: Pecco but Marc's being really impressive over testing but Pecco's fast in the race but

Maverick: idrc at the moment my bike sucks don't ask me it's too complicated for me to think about

Marc: I'm not telling you, Pecco's fast, Alex's fast, don't count out Pedro, and don't forget Jorge's a very good rider

Jack: someone at Ducati Lenovo. And they're scary.

Joan: Marc. Yep. I don't really want to say it but Marc

[coimbrabertone]

Motorsports Christmas: An After-Action Report.

May 26th, 2024 was one of the biggest days in motorsports, and it was freaking exhausting in the best ways possible.

So, everybody knows that the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 are on the same day, well, the Charlotte 600 is on that day too, making for the triple. This year, the Catalan Motorcycle Grand Prix also fell on that weekend, so there was a quadruple of racing, and I was ready to watch it all.

I woke up around 5:30am - the joys of the Mountain Time zone - in time to watch MotoGP at 6am. Aleix Espargaro took pole on the factory Aprilia and Raul Fernandez on the Trackhouse Aprilia satellite bike lined up third, but it was Pecco Bagnaia in second that turned into the protagonist of the race. Bagnaia held off the likes of Jorge Martin, Marc Marquez, and Aleix Espargaro behind to take a calculated victory.

I was happy for Bagnaia, however, with Jorge Martin in second having a dominant championship lead, it did sort of feel like a pyrrhic victory. Bagnaia gives this controlled, smart victory ride but it doesn't really matter since he only scored five more points over his main championship rival. Add in the fact that Marc Marquez, who is toe-to-toe with Bagnaia in the fight for second, finished third. This means that Bagnaia leaves the Catalan Grand Prix 39 points behind Martin and just 2 ahead of Marquez.

That's not even the worst part.

Enea Bastianini - the rider I support - kinda had a meltdown this race. First, he starts eleventh, loses places off the start, and then got pushed off at turn one by Alex Marquez. Enea cuts the track to rejoin, receives a long lap penalty, refuses to serve it. He then gets gets pushed off again in a second attempt. Enea receives a double long-lap penalty for failing to serve the penalty, serves one but not the other, and then gets a thirty second penalty post race.

In his interviews, he called it a protest against unfair stewarding decisions.

On track, it led to him finishing eighteenth and out of the points.

This is particularly devastating as Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez - the guys in second and third - are fighting to take his seat for 2025. I already did a blogpost about this a few weeks ago and I have a lot to get to today, so I'll keep this brief, but yesterday was not a good day for Enea Bastianini.

The Monaco Grand Prix also happened. Swiftly moving on...

Joking. I'm joking. Monaco was actually pretty good this year. The Ferraris and McLarens qualified 1-3 and 2-4, respectively, so we got a fight between them rather than Red Bull dominance. Unfortunately, they decided to fight by going as slow as possible to prevent anyone else from pitting once they all got a free change of tyres under red following a scary first lap incident between Sergio Perez and the two Haas cars.

Still, it was a fight between Ferrari and McLaren and the top seven all put a lap on eighth place. That was as vintage F1 as you could get. It was also at vintage speeds with them running around four seconds off the pace, but hey, strategy shenanigans are fun.

Charles Leclerc won and proceeded to drop the Monegasque flag in front of the Prince of Monaco, twice. That is objectively funny and probably my favorite F1 moment of the weekend.

So, the Indianapolis 500.

Normally it would start shortly after Monaco, however, a rain front in Indianapolis delayed the 500 into the afternoon. This would wreck Kyle Larson's attempt to do the full 1100 mile double at Indy and Charlotte - more on that later - but it did actually lead to some great moments for me personally. Spending the hours in discords with other motorsports fans talking about when the rain might stop, when the track might dry out, when the race should start, whether Larson would stay or go...it all gave a very wholesome, community feel that I really enjoyed.

Then the race itself. It was amazing.

The clouds cleared, we got a partly cloudy afternoon with filled grandstands and a full 500-mile race around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We got a little bit of everything. Crashes (where thankfully nobody was hurt), engine failures, competing fuel strategies, sixteen different leaders - that's half the field! - and a last lap, penultimate corner pass for the win.

Now, I'm an Arrow McLaren fan. Alexander Rossi was a driver who I followed in F1 because I was excited at the prospect of seeing the first American driver in a decade. Rossi's F1 hopes with Marussia didn't work out, but he went on to Indycar and won the Indy 500 in his first attempt. Between the peak Andretti years where he had the knife between his teeth bringing the fight to the likes of Josef Newgarden and Scott Dixon, to now, where he's in that beautiful #7 white and orange McLaren, bringing the fight to the likes of...Josef Newgarden and Scott Dixon.

Then there's Pato O'Ward, the exciting, young, charismatic Mexican charger in the #5, driving an awesome orange and black car. It's perfect, he and Rossi have night and day cars, and they were slingshot passing each other in the Indianapolis 500 to save fuel. That was the happiest I was during the race, watching my two favorite Indycar drivers in my favorite team leading 1-2.

Then Alexander Rossi made his final pitstop for fuel.

They were racing to keep track position, so they fueled him just a bit short, and I fear that ultimately decided the course of the race.

Josef Newgarden cycled out in front at the end of the fuel cycle, Alexander Rossi attacked first, got in front, but immediately got overtaken again as he had to save a bit of fuel. Rossi would try again, but Newgarden would nose ahead, as would Pato O'Ward.

Pato O'Ward was a student of the Indy 500, so he knew he had to make the pass as late as possible to ensure that Josef Newgarden wouldn't be able to respond. Pato would lift in turn one on a number of final laps to stay second and keep the draft, before finally making the attack in turn one on the final lap...only for Josef Newgarden to come back at him in turn three.

There was nothing Pato could've done at that point.

Josef made the pass in turn three, got a good exit off turn four, and Pato didn't get enough of a draft to the finish line in order to stop him. Pato was rightfully devastated, Rossi ended up in fourth, behind the lead two in addition to third placed Scott Dixon, as a result of his fuel strategy.

It was utterly devastating.

But that's motorsport. The days that you lose are what make the days that you win more meaningful. The Indianapolis 500 happened in its entirety despite all the rain and the worries. Not only that, but NBC is saying that the preliminary ratings look to be over 5 million viewers for the race. A last lap pass, a back-to-back winner, and a ratings bump over last year. As much as I wish Pato or Rossi could've won that race, I've spent the last day making my peace with it. For now, I'll just be happy that Indycar as a sport snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat.

Then there was the Coke 600 at Charlotte.

I tuned in late thanks to the late Indianapolis 500, and I was pretty emotionally drained at this point, but a charge from Brad Keselowski at the end of the second stage got me motivated again. Brad Keselowski, the owner-driver of the #6 for the team I support in NASCAR - Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, also known as RFK Racing - pushed his way up the field. He moved into second, and he was hunting down the leader, Christopher Bell.

I began to believe that, after a 1,113-day winless streak, Brad Keselowski would win two races in three weeks.

Unfortunately, as soon as he caught up to the back of Bell, it started raining.

To add insult to injury, Kyle Larson, who had run the Indianapolis 500 earlier that day and completed all 500 miles, finishing 18th after a pitlane speeding penalty, had just arrived at Charlotte. He was about to take over the #5 from replacement driver Justin Allgaier, only he never got the chance.

At this point, I was emotionally drained after three and a half races, so at around 8:45pm, I fully embraced my grandmother era and went to bed.

That wound up being the right decision, because despite waiting out the rain and attempting to dry the track, NASCAR would end up calling the race anyway when they hit the end of Fox's TV window. Christopher Bell would win the race, Brad Keselowski would have to settle for second.

I quite literally missed nothing by going to bed when I did.

So, I sorta got the result I wanted at Catalunya, a full-on positive result at Monaco, and narrowly had my picks finish second at both Indianapolis and Charlotte.

In the grand scheme of things, that's not a bad Motorsports Christmas.

And on June 14th and 15th, we have Motorsports New Years with the 24 Hours of Le Mans, so the Racing Holidays aren't quite over.