Video: 2011 Macau GP

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macau

Every November, hundreds of the world’s hardest men gather in Macau to risk their lives competing in a little known road race. The event is unique because, unlike the Isle of Man or North West 200, the course runs entirely through a dense urban center on track that, at times, is just 22 feet wide. This film was put together by race documentarian Sergio Perez using both race footage and original video.

  • http://www.damiengaudet.blogspot.com damien

    thank you, thank you, thank you for this.

  • Matt Jones

    There are so many great road races that take place in Europe. The southern 100 is another great one to watch as well. I just like how many of these races unlike the TT are not time trails but actual races that get wreck your nerves just watching how close they get.

  • Adrian

    In a word: WOW!

  • Slothrop

    nice footage; why do they always feel they have to put a bunch of poodle rock on the soundtrack?

  • philn

    Very cool video. Thanks for posting this. More highlights can be found on the Macau GP site.

  • Maxwell

    Thats incredible. Seems thought that when crashes did happen, they’d be really bad seeing as there’s just steel barriers to keep you from flying along.

  • NoVeloNoVin

    Holy buckets! It may just be the camera angle and foreshortening, but there is a point around 1:41 where it looks as if the riders’ helmets are just inches away from that beige concrete wall, just after they change direction in the “s” and are leaned way over on their way out. The assertiveness of the riding in general is astonishing.

  • oldblue

    They call big scuffs on leathers where shoulders meet the Armco barriers “Macau tattoos.”

    The people who race Macau are precisely the sort of nutters this planet needs more of.

  • James

    I always find it odd how the Brits have dominated this race for the last 30 years, winning 27 of 30. Despite being a totally different type of circuit to the IOM TT, those riders that excel there, excel at Macau proving that this is a circuit all about having giant balls.

    Nice to see Rutter winning again after a torrid year in BSB.

    James

  • Gregory

    A shout out to those riders. Damn good. I don’t know if it’s the Cantonese, the Han or the Macanese. Whichever. They put my commute to shame.

    (Where are most of these riders from? Are they second-tier internationals? Top-tier internationals? All local boys? Most of the riders & management seem to be Caucasian. I guess they aren’t locals, then. How many of the riders speak Cantonese? Or at least Mandarin? Does that even matter these days? I wonder what their team budget/ finances look like? Who are the sponsors?)

    -g

    • wascostreet

      Michael Rutter and most of the top names are from the British Isles. Guys like Anstey, McGuinness, Hutchinson, Dunlop, etc. You can follow them in the TT (and other UK road races) and sometimes in various British Superbikes (BSB) classes. I recognize some of the same livery on these bikes as in BSB, so I think there’s similar sponsorship. But like most road races, it’s its own animal and not part of an organized series like MotoGP or BSB. Road race courses used to be part of the Gran Prix circuit but are now the domain of dedicated madmen and their imitators. Picture Stoner on this track (ha!)

    • runrun

      Jeremy Toye (4th) and Michael Barnes (8th) are both AMA pro racing regulars in the US. Not sure about Barnes, but JT is a regular at Macau also.

      Large attachments!

      BTW, Anstey is a proud Kiwi.

  • Mr.Paynter

    Terrifying and Exciting and everything I love about motorcycles all rolled in to one!

    Thanks Guys!

  • SugarCream

    Here is the full race video for reference. (Race starts after 15mins.)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOkfl3_0nVI&t=15m23s

    Boys with big balls!

    • Jeff

      Were there any chickens on the course this year?

  • Chris

    And Rutter wearing his Segway-sponsored leathers from his 2011 MotoCzysz TT Zero victory …

    TTXGP at Macau for 2012? Might be a good fit for the large electric Asian market.

  • JK

    Massive!

  • http://greatjoballweek.blogspot.com/ Case

    Loved this video. If you enter a corner and you have to tilt your head up so it doesn’t scrape the wall you’re an epic badass. Fact.

  • AaronT

    I’m a bit surprised no one has mentioned that these bikes have far more real world relevance than a MotoGP bike designed for pristine track. If win on Sunday, sell on Monday still sells vehicles, this is where we should look for our street legal replis.

    Awesome video, those guys are nuts on a stick!

  • Steve

    Very cool, added to my favorites to watch on the hdtv tomorrow, thanks guys!

  • Will

    Was Czysz there? Saw a Segway sponsored race outfit…