Jorge Lorenzo, of Spain, left, rides his Yamaha in front of Nicky Hayden on his Ducati during the final warm-up session before the running of the Indianapolis MotoGP motorcycle race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
My husband turned me on to Moto GP this summer. As a rider myself, I find what these riders do just so viscerally exhilarating, I can hardly bear to watch. If you have not yet seen a motorcycle race, please know that these guys are dragging their knees on the turns, often with the rear end of the bike (or the whole thing!) sashaying in the limbo between static and kinetic friction. (Here’s Casey Stoner drifting; watch as he comes out of the turn.)