look good dirty

Loving this photo of the Idaq riders at Oulton Park this weekend...

karlajennings — Fri, 10 May 2013 03:38:30 -0400

Loving this photo of the Idaq riders at Oulton Park this weekend by Paul Egan

www.facebook.com/idaqmotorsport

James East heading out for warm up at...

karlajennings — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 06:27:11 -0400

James East heading out for warm up at Thruxton.

www.facebook.com/idaqmotorsport

Help Brandon Cretu get back to the IOM TT this year!

karlajennings — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:38:24 -0500

There are two awesome prizes for any donation of at least $10… check it out :)

One lucky donor will win a REV’IT! gear package (leather or textile) of his/her choice worth up to $1499 retail value!

The second lucky donor will win 2 consecutive days at one of Jason Pridmore’s STAR Schools! This will include the use of one of the school’s motorycles.

Donate here: http://www.brandoncreturacing.com/donate.html

What are you waiting for?

scanzen: Marianne Weber, belgian journalist riding a BMW R 68,...

karlajennings — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:19:40 -0500

scanzen:

Marianne Weber, belgian journalist riding a BMW R 68, April 1952. In: Motorcycle, 15 August, 1952. Photo: Everts R. G. / BMW Group Archiv.

karlajennings: Anyone out there have any pics of some rad bmw cafe racers?

karlajennings — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:31:44 -0500

karlajennings:

Anyone out there have any pics of some rad bmw cafe racers?

Could there be a new girl in gp racing?

karlajennings — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:17:54 -0500

Could there be a new girl in gp racing?:

Only the Spanish would find her right?

Honda 1971 CB450 “Bonita Applebum” read more...

karlajennings — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:51:25 -0500

Honda 1971 CB450 “Bonita Applebum”

BMW R45 "SCHWARZEN STRIPES" by FRANZGARAGE

karlajennings — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:50:22 -0500

BMW R45 "SCHWARZEN STRIPES" by FRANZGARAGE :

I love this one… thoughts?

in doubt never overtake on Flickr.in doubt…

karlajennings — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:35:40 -0500

in doubt never overtake on Flickr.

in doubt…

Santiago Motorpark (with video)

karlajennings — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:42:01 -0500

Santiago Motorpark (with video):

Rumors that Chile would be hosting a MotoGP event in the near future, hell yeah whos with me?

Rossi and his new GP12

karlajennings — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:59:41 -0500

Rossi and his new GP12

Circuit of the Americas

karlajennings — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:23:22 -0500

Circuit of the Americas:

I really hope this track is as awesome as it sounds… MotoGP in Austin is going to be so awesome :)

:)

karlajennings — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:26:28 -0500

Today Marco would have been 25 years old. The 2012 MotoGP season...

karlajennings — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:26:46 -0500

Today Marco would have been 25 years old. The 2012 MotoGP season will be less without you. #ciaosupersic

truebikerspirit: Derek Despain at work // Have a happy monday,...

karlajennings — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:22:20 -0500

truebikerspirit:

Derek Despain at work // Have a happy monday, try to get some riding !

HA!

karlajennings — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:40:18 -0500

HA!

tinychamps: Nice Yamaha Cafe Racer. Pic taken in Durham NC

karlajennings — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:13:09 -0500

tinychamps:

Nice Yamaha Cafe Racer. Pic taken in Durham NC

Inside looking out: MotoGP and the search for a perfect moment

karlajennings — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:19:00 -0500

Life is about searching for ideal moments, and how they happen when you don’t expect them to. Perfect moments come and go all the time and people often don’t notice. Finding the perfect moment where everything leads to something else. “Have I arrived? Is it over? Or is the best yet to come?” Stepping foot into the MotoGP paddock is like reaching the pinnacle moment in life. In the early years of going to races at Laguna Seca and Indianapolis I always had the want, the desire to get behind the wall and into the paddock. Recently over the past two years I have gained access into the paddock and life has changed.

It is really early in the morning. I can still feel the chill in the morning air as I take my first ever steps into the MotoGP paddock at Indianapolis. It is like a ghost town. There are a few mechanics running about but the gates have just opened so the air is calm. Wandering about the paddock the riders are starting to show up and I just smile and nod hello as they pass by. I find myself in a daze and I keep pinching myself, am I really here? Is this really happening? Is this the perfect moment? The MotoGP paddock is filled with so much energy its almost unexplainable. The people I meet are so nice to be around, the paddock is like a small traveling town where everyone knows each other and share a similar passion which unites us all together. I take a spot overhead of the crowds just so I can take it all in. I feel like a spy watching all the riders in plain clothes go unnoticed by the public. I am approached by an older gentleman, Charles Herron, and start up quite an interesting conversation about bikes and umbrella girls. At the time I didn’t realize that this man would become such a great friend and mentor. Charles has such a kind and gentle spirit and is a great storyteller. I later find out that one of his best friends is none other than the late Gary Nixon. Between the two of them my afternoon is filled with stories of times past and I begin to wish I had a tape recorder to capture the moment. These two honestly help make my weekend a blast and I remember hearing Gary shout my name down the paddock just to ask me random questions like what I thought of the umbrella girl that just passed him. He was quite a character and I will never forget him. At the track Charles introduced me to everyone in the paddock he thought I should know. One individual in particular, Mark Elder. Mark has worked with Eric and Ben Bostrom in the past and eventually started working in MotoGP. In 2010 Mark was working for Pramac Ducati with rider Aleix Espargaro. I will never forget getting invited into the Pramac garage and having Mark ask “Karla, would you care for an espresso?” and off he went to make me one. He is an exceptionally nice guy. I then received a personal tour of the garage and what seemed like MotoGP 101 of the bike and the electronics. What is that phrase about being in the right place at the right time, well it was happening to me and I was on cloud 9. Was this then the perfect moment I had been searching for? Times like these are what being a part of the paddock in MotoGP is all about. Careless good times, stories and great jokes filled with lots of laughter. Everyone is part of a family.

On race day I found myself, again in the right place at the right time. I was invited to watch the start of the Moto2 race from the start finish line. I remember how nervous I was just standing that close to the track and the bikes, talk about adrenaline rush! I turn to my left to see Jorge Lorenzo standing next to me; in the paddock you just never know who you are going to end up next to.

When you follow your inner voice doors tend to open, you just have to be aware of what’s happening. I will admit I am a cute girl with a taste of adventure, whit and charm. I have managed to befriend a lot of people in the MotoGP industry, totally on accident. The weekend of August 25, 2011 I was offered paddock passes, but not just any paddock passes, with my pass I would be able to have access to pit wall during the races and practices as well as pit lane. Listening to my newfound inner voice I was sure to make this my most perfect weekend to date.

This year walking into the paddock I felt in my comfort zone. The paddock is what you make of it. At the end of the day the riders and mechanics are all just normal people doing their jobs. If you catch any of them at the right moment you can have long conversations that make you feel like you have known them for years. I recommend meeting Lauren Vickers, Mary Spies, Dominique Aegerter and Bradley Smith, to name a few. They are all up for a good laugh when they aren’t too busy. Time at the track often flies by. During the weekend there is also a lot of fun to be had out on the streets of Indianapolis. Saturday night is usually “industry night” and all my friends are caught up in work related dinners. I decide to fly solo and escape down to my hotel bar for a glass of wine. Under the dim lighting of the bar I look to my right to see most of the AB Cardion team talking shop, they glance over and smile. Nodding to acknowledge they recognize me from earlier in the day. There I am, alone with my wine and an outdated episode of a strongman competition on the television when a familiar voice calls out to me. I turn my head to see Mark Elder appear at my table. He questions why I am by myself and insists I join him and the boys for dinner. Before I can say no, my chair is over his head and I find myself sandwiched between Jeremy Burgess and Alex Briggs. Is this the perfect moment I have been waiting for? I am sitting at a table of MotoGP legends; men that for years have been untouchable on the track. Except for this year. They have been thrown a curve ball for sure but are dealing with it the best they can and I am definitely not too shy to ask them about it. They are all super sweet humble guys and I enjoy that my night has made such a turn and that I am in this perfect moment with the perfect hosts. I feel like I am now part of a larger elite group. Before parting ways they insist I stop by the garage to meet the rider, but I decline. They have clearly forgotten how hectic Sunday is at the track.

Race day is always a bittersweet day. The nerves and excitement of the teams and riders fills the alleyways of the paddock. Everyone is bustling around trying to finish last minute setups. In the paddock you feel apart of this excitement. On Sunday I spent most of my time on pit wall. It is definitely the best place to watch the race. There are monitors where you can see the rest of the track but to hear the bikes come down the front straight and down shift into turn one is truly unreal. I get the largest goose bumps on my arms with the thrill of the sound and speed that is rushing past. The news media is standing with you as well as the teams and it is fun to be apart of something much larger than just sitting in the stands. From time to time riders will appear out of their boxes and come watch with you. It is a great time for everyone. At the end of the day there is a lot of emotion, depending on who won the race and saying goodbye to new friends. A lot of people catch the first flights out of town but for the rest of us we all attend the annual Red Bull riders party. A fun time for everyone to unwind and dance and brush elbows with the riders and teams. It’s a perfect goodbye for a perfect weekend.

Since 2006 MotoGP racing has been in my blood. The first time I heard the roar of the engine of a GP bike it sent chills down my spine. Men risking their lives at speeds over 200mph, a rush like no other. Motorcycle racing is like a drug. A sensation you can’t get enough of. The people you meet at the track are all die-hard fans and I believe we all have a screw loose or two. You feel love and admiration, and when tragedy strikes we stick together like a family. A close-knit pack of misfits we bond together through media outlets like Twitter where we become a part of the story line for the weekend. MotoGP isn’t just about the riders and being at the track or in the paddock, it is about the people you surround yourself with. The energy in the air, the new friends you meet. It is like a small virtual town where you know around every corner your family of MotoGP junkies is going to be there for you no matter what. It is these perfect moments where everything leads to something greater in life. Will the perfect moments last forever or is the best yet to come?

“The point where you’re at the best- physically or mentally at the peak of your powers- can’t be maintained forever, no matter what it is you do.” –David Chang.

I am obsessed with these right...

karlajennings — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:24:41 -0500

I am obsessed with these right now…

lordzardon:

Derringer.

Photo

karlajennings — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:23:06 -0500